Ellen A. Tomberlin

Ellen A. Tomberlin passed away on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at 75 years of age. She was
under hospice care and passed away in the family home.
Ellen was born in Gallup, NM, on December 26, 1950. She spent her formative years in the Four
Corners area, including Farmington and Grants, NM. Ellen graduated from Gallup High School,
Class of 1969. After graduation, she moved to Albuquerque to attend beauty school and become a
hairstylist. She returned to Gallup to help her mother run the family restaurant. She eventually
bought the restaurant and successfully operated it for ten years before selling it and obtaining her
Realtor's license.
She married her husband in 1984 and remained in Gallup until he was transferred to the
Albuquerque area, where they settled in Los Lunas, NM. She continued to sell real estate and
became a “soccer mom” for her children, making sure they got to their various activities.
Ellen was very charitable, patriotic, and kindhearted. She was a Life Member of the Benevolent and
Patriotic Order of DOES. In 2004, she was elected and sworn in as the Supreme President of the
BPO DOES in Albuquerque, NM. During her travels across the country, she was a wonderful
ambassador for the charitable work of the DOES. Her favorite charities and causes included Dogs
for Better Lives, veterans, cerebral palsy, and underprivileged children.
Ellen was preceded in death by her mother, Jewel Allan; her father, Arthur Civerolo; her stepfather,
Robert Allan; and her older sisters, Nancy Minor of Aztec, NM, and Linda Hamilton of
Albuquerque.
She is survived by her husband, Larry Tomberlin; children Franklin Ward and his wife, Gabby,
Brandi Tafoya and her husband, Cameron, and Jessica Ward, all of Los Lunas. She is also survived
by her four grandsons, Seth, Logan, Ethan, and Roman, of Los Lunas; her sister Jolene Day and her
husband, Phillip Day; her sister Diana Allan and her husband, Pete Allan, both of Albuquerque; and
a slew of nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at Riverside
Funeral Home in Los Lunas, followed by a reception with food and refreshments at the
Albuquerque Elks Lodge #461