Ed Tinsley III

    Edward Roy Tinsley III, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, passed away in the early morning of November 1, 2022, after fighting his 12-year battle with cancer. He left this world the way he always lived it – never quitting. His wife of 46 years, Meredith George Tinsley, daughter Ede Tinsley Booth, and son Edward R. Tinsley IV, were by his side the morning of his passing. 
    Ed was born on August 26, 1952, in Lamesa, Texas to Ona Erma (Toots) Tinsley and Edward Roy Tinsley Jr.  Growing up, he adored his two older sisters, Kaki and Carter. After an illustrious career as the almost-football star of the Lamesa Golden Tornados (5 knee surgeries!), Ed attended the University of Texas in Austin.  He bled Burnt Orange blood every day that followed. It was there that he (re)met the love of his life and forever partner, Meredith. In a funny twist of fate, their meet-cute was a chance pairing on a ski lift in Ruidoso, New Mexico as high school kids several years before. 
    In 1978, after six long months practicing law in Austin, Ed and Meredith embarked on the first of many adventures - they moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico to open a Schlotzsky’s sandwich shop franchise. Ed ran the grill and Meredith ran the register. And so began a career in the restaurant industry that would eventually take Ed to one of his proudest professional accomplishments as the Chairman of the National Restaurant Association in 2006. 
    No place was closer to Ed’s heart however, than the Flying W Diamond Ranch in Capitan, New Mexico. No matter where his pursuits took him, he always considered it home. Raising cattle was his passion. So much so that in 1992 he bought the now 56-year-old restaurant brand, K-BOB’S Steakhouse, so that he could, as he put it, work from “the pasture, to the plate.” 
    In the last years of his life, the K-BOB’S in Ruidoso, New Mexico was where Ed put all his best culinary ideas into action. He cared deeply for every employee who works in the restaurant (some for over 30 years) and was especially proud as they recently broke the chain’s all-time sales records.
    Ed and Meredith were fortunate to travel the world together throughout their marriage. Whether it was their annual Thanksgiving trip to the Mauna Kea, bicycle trips through France with friends and their families, or their visit to the British Open this past Summer in Scotland, Meredith and Ed always found the fun wherever they went, something their dear friends in Albuquerque and Midland knew well.
    The capstone to Ed’s ranching legacy in New Mexico was his development of a Registered Black Angus program. He preached to his children, Ede and Edward, how important and unique it was to safeguard this way of life. He knew that in being a careful custodian of the land and its animals, that his children and grandchildren would have a legacy they could be proud of long after he left this world. 
    Ed will be missed dearly by all who loved him in this world. He was larger than life to us. Ed is survived by his wife Meredith George Tinsley, his son Edward Roy Tinsley IV, his daughter Ede Tinsley Booth and husband Morgan, his sisters Carter Tinsley Schildknecht and husband Ellis and Kaki Tinsley and husband Bo Burris, and his grandchildren Lawler, Scarlett and Wellington Booth and Wyatt Tinsley. 
    We will celebrate Ed’s life at the Ruidoso Downs Race Track Chapel on April 15, 2023. Please email ede.booth@gmail.com for details of the service and celebration as the day gets closer. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Ruidoso Downs Race Track Chapel, Post Office Box 449, Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico 88346.
– Press-Reporter obituary services