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LocalFarmington, New Mexicome paiiy unrnRickett’s Park founder diesFile photoLamar Gunn plays with a young customer at the Mesa Barber Shop April 20,1997. Gunn died Tuesdav. He was remembered for his shoe shining and helping establish Ricketts Park.“That used to be a swamp down there. He neverreally did get a lot of credit for that, but he did alot of that. Maybe one of these days we’ll namea ballpark after him. That would be good.- Ron Chacon, barber at the Mesa Barber ShopNoted for love of baseballNathan J. Tohtsoni Staff writerFARMINGTON — There may be some questions about how hold he was, but one thing is for sure, people who knew Lamar Gunn list his charity as tops.Gunn, 80, of Farmington died Tuesday. In a April 1997 interview with The Daily Times, Gunn listed his age as 87. Lucille Gunn, Lamar’s widow, said her husband was born Sept. 11, 1919, in Waelder, Texas.A close friend and co-worker of Gunn believes Lamar was probably closer to 87.Whatever his age, he is recognized as being instrumental in establishing Rickett’s Park and providing numerous activities for young people like the annual Easter Egg hunt in Brookside Park. Gunn was also known for shiny shoes.“I met him in 1968. He was old then,” said Ron Chacon, barker at the Mesa Barber Shop where Gunn shined shoes for 14 years. “He told me he was 89. He was more like 100 years old.”Gunn is widely remembered as a man who gave of himself to help others.“He was active with the young people,” said another close friend who asked not to be identified. “He came here in the early 1950s. He was active in baseball and he helped with the founding of Ricketts Park. He’s had a lot of involvement.”Lucille Gunn met Lamar in 1973 at an area restaurant when she moved to Farmington fromMississippi.“He was the first person I met,” she said. “He was still shining shoes up until last year. He didn’t do too much of that anymore.”In the 1997 interview, Gunn said he had been shining shoes for more than 70 years. He saw itmore as fun since it had long lost the art aspect many years ago. The chair that Gunn shined shoes from at the Mesa Barber Shop and at another shop on Main Street for 18 years, which has since closed, sits in the back of the barber shop Gunn called home for the past 14 years.Gunn played .professional baseball during the depression with the Houston Yellow Jackets. His love for baseball followed him to Farmington as he helped establish Ricketts Park and did some coaching.Chacon said Gunn did a lot of the dirt work where Ricketts Park stands. . .“That used to be a swamp down there,” Chacon said. “He never really did get a lot of credit for that, but he did a lot of that. Maybe one of these days we’ll name a ballpark after him. That would be good.“It’s just too bad he never got to see that when he was alive.?!
Newspaper Details
Farmington Daily Times
Farmington, New Mexico, US
Fri, Mar 17, 2000
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NM, USA 14 Jan 2022
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