LeRoy Carl Cravens, 94, Born at Pedernal, New Mexico on October 21, 1931 to Carl and Lorine Cannon Cravens. LeRoy was the oldest of brothers Lamar and Phillip. He attended primary school in Pedernal, middle and high school at Encino, both in Torrance County. In high school LeRoy played basketball and worked on the family homestead where they raised dry land beans. While in high school he met his future wife Mercedes Perez, who was from a pioneering family that owned the Victor Perez Ranch. LeRoy graduated in 1949. In 1950 the Korean War started and Leroy joined the Navy, serving four years during which time he and Mercedes were married. After the Navy, the family moved to Las Cruses where Leroy earned a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and a Master of Arts degree from what is now New Mexico State University. Following this, the family moved to Albuquerque where LeRoy taught school and earned a Master of Education in Science degree from the University of New Mexico. LeRoy taught for 26 years and retired in 1984 to pursue ranching full-time on ranches both he and Mercedes inherited. LeRoy lived and worked on the ranch for 42 years until his passing on May 16th at age 94. Ranching was his life-long dream.

LeRoy is survived by Mercedes, his wife of 75 years who is still actively working the ranch. Their four children, Keith, Mark and his wife Jayne, Clay, and Cindy; five grandchildren, Stephen and his wife McCall, Karen, Kimberly and her husband Nick, Kyle, Cody and his wife Lauren; and nine great grandchildren, Austin, Benjamin, Hannah, Sydney, Hugh, Charlotte, Robert, Nico, and Whitley, ranging in age from 15 years to 15 months.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday May 30, 2026, at Ourlady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Encino, NM; Rosary at 10:00 am, Mass at 11:00 followed by the burial at the Our Lady of Guadalupe catholic cemetery in Encino, NM. Pallbearers will be Cody Cravens, Dan Cravens, Karen Cravens, Kent Cravens, Kim Cravens Ritchie, Kyle Cravens, Paul Cravens, and Stephen Cravens.  Honorary Pallbearers will be Anna Hindi, Elias Sanchez, Ismael Rodriguez, Jane Cotner, Michael Perez, Steve Haley, and Tito Chavez.

Funeral arrangements were entrusted to the Harris-Hanlon Mortuary in Moriarty, NM