Neil Love

Neil Love, 82, passed away on Sunday, August 31,2014.
Graveside: 11 am, Thursday, at Grandview Cemetery, Grandview, TX.
Memorials: In lieu of flower the family request donations to Grandview Nursing Home.
Neil was born June 2, 1932 in Cottonwood , TX. He was raised in Spur, TX. the son of a bootmaker, Herbert Love. He and Neil's mother, Donnie, made handmade boots for the West Texas Cowboys. While working in his father's boot shop, Neil began tying up ropes as a teenager to sell and use himself. He entered junior rodeos and at age 18 he won his first saddle for the All Around at Southwestern Championship Junior Rodeo in Post, Texas in 1950. After a tour of duty with the army in Korea, Neil attended Texas Tech and was a member of the National Collegiate Rodeo Association Champion rodeo team of 1955. He joined the Rodeo Cowboys Association in 1953., and made a highly successful career from the rodeo circuit, making the National Finals 7 out of the first 8 years that they were held. He won such prestigious events as steer wrestling at Cheyenne in 1963 and the calf roping at the Cow Palace in 1964. In 1968 he started Neil Love Ropes. The building that houses the current operations were built in 1974 and 1977. The second building was added to allow the company to manufacture the coils of rope. Neil designed and built his own vertical twisting machine.
He is preceded in death by his son, Mark Love ; son in law Roger Harris; grandson Brandon Love; sisters, Janet and Gayle; brother, Jerry; and his parents, Herbert and Donnie Love.
Survivors: JoAnn his wife of 55 years; daughter, Laurie Harris of Albuquerque, NM and daughter-in-law Lynda Donnelly of Grandview; grandchildren, Kate and Ethan Harris of Albuquerque, NM, Russell Love of Boerne, TX; two great-grandchildren; sister, Melba Hamby of Lovington, NM; several nieces and nephews.

Friends desiring may contribute in Neil's memory to .

For online condolences and Tributes please visit www.skyvuefuneralhome.com.