- Date Of Birth: January 12, 1960
- Date Of Death: November 12, 2010
- State: New Mexico
Tony Knott of Hobbs passed away on November 12, 2010, after a long battle with cancer. He was born in Hobbs on January 12, 1960, to Joy and Dale Knott. He married the love of his life, Laurie, in 1985. Tony went to work at the Hobbs Police Department in 1980 and retired as Chief of Police in 2002. His longtime association with the Hobbs Police Department actually started in 1972, when Tony was 12. He joined the Hobbs Police Department Explorers group and had an almost 40year relationship with the men and women of the HPD. After retiring from the Hobbs Police Department he was elected to a Lea County Magistrate Judges position and served until 2004 when Gov. Richardson appointed him to the New Mexico Gaming Control Board. He left that position in 2006 to start Tactical Security Solutions. Tony was the past chairman of the Lea County Drug Task Force, the past Chairman of the NM High Intensity Drug Task Force and a member of the SW Boarders Task Force. He had been a board member of the Palmer Drug Abuse Program, the Option House board of directors and the Opportunity House board of directors. He was also a 25year member of the Hobbs Masonic Lodge. He was a graduate of Leadership New Mexico and the FBI National Academy class 185. Gov. Johnson appointed him to his Drug Enforcement Advisory Panel. Tony was the greatgrandson of J. W. Owens, a Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame pioneer that came to Lea County in 1911 in a covered wagon. His grandparents, his beloved mother Joy Knott, a brother James Knott preceded him in death. He is survived by his angel and wife, Laurie of Hobbs, his son, Jeffrey of Durango, Colorado, and his daughter, Courtney of Lubbock, Texas, his father Dale Knott and stepmother Margie of Locust Grove, Oklahoma, aunts Katherine Ellison Ken of Creed, Colorado, and Alice Saffell of Locust Grove, Oklahoma. Fatherinlaw, Jack White and motherinlaw Gloria White also survive him. He has three brothersinlaw that survive him, Steve White, Emmitt Martin and Kevin White, all of Hobbs. Many cousins also survive him but one that was very special to Tony was David Ellison of Hobbs, whom Tony considered a brother.
