My beloved mother Tina Newman

Tina Newman, 75, passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by the love of her family.

Tina was a woman who loved deeply, worked hard, and found joy in the simple things in life. She was a farmer, woodworker, fantastic cook, gardener, artist, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. She had a giving heart and was always willing to lend a helping hand to a neighbor or someone who needed it.

Tina spent 15 years working at the New Mexico Behavioral Health as a PBX operator, where she made many connections with the people around her before retiring. She took pride in her work and in being part of her community.

She loved the land and enjoyed farming and gardening. She was also an artist who found beauty in the world around her and enjoyed creating and sharing her talents.

But perhaps what Tina loved most was her family.

She loved spending time with her great-grandboys and enjoyed playing board games with them. She especially loved a good game of Royalty with her grandson. Those games, conversations, laughter, and time together created memories that her family will carry with them forever.

Tina also enjoyed visiting with people and was known for her ability to make a connection with those around her. She enjoyed visiting with customers at the People's Fair. Some may even remember her as a bartender at the Line Camp making drinks where she could talk, laugh, and share stories.

Tina had a great sense of humor and a smile that could make people feel welcome. Those who visited the El Zocalo Gallery on the Plaza may remember visiting with Tina as she proudly shared the many different types of art she could exhibit. She loved the creativity and beauty of art and enjoyed being able to bring different artists and their work into the community. For Tina, it was about more than displaying art—it was about the people she met, the conversations she had, and the connections she made along the way.

She believed in community—not just as a word, but as something you showed through your actions.

Tina had a life filled with stories, hard work, laughter, family, and love. She wasn't perfect, and she didn't pretend to be. She was simply Tina—strong-willed, creative, caring, independent, and always herself.

Her memory will live on through the family she loved so much and through the people whose lives she touched.

Tina is survived by: Her daughter, Tanya Rodriguez, and son-in-law, Al Rodriguez, of Las Vegas, Nevada; Her grandson, Robert Montano, of Las Vegas, New Mexico; Her great-grandsons, Elias Montano and Noah Montano, of Las Vegas, New Mexico; Her brother, Tom Kelley II, of Ventura, California; And her nephew, Tom Kelley III, of San Diego, California. She is also remembered and loved by extended family, friends, neighbors, and all those who had the privilege of knowing her.

She was preceded in death by: Her brother, James Richard Kelley; her mother, Virginia Kelley; and her father, Tom Kelley Sr.

Tina's family will forever cherish the memories of her laughter, her stories, her love of the land, her creativity, her willingness to help others, and most of all, the time spent together around a table playing a good game of Royalty.

She will be deeply missed, but her love will remain with us.

Celebration of Life Family and friends are invited to celebrate Tina's life on Thursday, October 15, 2026 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Old Town Mission Community Center 301 Socorro Street Las Vegas, New Mexico 87701

Potluck — Please bring a dish to share.

Come share a meal, a story, a laugh, or a memory as we celebrate the life of Tina Newman.

Arrangements are entrusted to and under the care of Rogers Mortuary 600 Reynolds Ave Las Vegas, NM 87701.