Joseph Warren Pollard III passed away on Sunday, January 30th after a brief illness, surrounded by his family. Warren was born in Newbern, Alabama, January 20th, 1934 to Joseph Warren Pollard II and Helen Ayres Pollard. He was delivered by his grandfather, Dr. Ayres, and grew up in a small community, attending a one room schoolhouse taught by Miss Ida Mae Muntz. Although those were hard years before World War II, he regarded his childhood as idyllic and until his death recounted wonderful stories about the South.
The first in his family to attend university, Warren enrolled at Alabama Polytechnical Institute (now Auburn University) where he graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He joined the United States Army as a Signal Corp Officer and was soon sent to France for a NATO assignment where he met and married his wife Heather in Fontainebleau.
His many assignments included two tours in Viet Nam, obtaining a master’s degree in electrical engineering at the University of Arizona, a second NATO tour in then Occupied West Berlin and five years in the Pentagon where he was instrumental in guiding the TacFire program and working on the Patriot Missile. He was then sent to White Sands Missile Range where he was promoted to full colonel and served as Director of Missiles and Electronic Warfare.
His 28 years in the armed services included an Army Commendation Medal and a Bronze Star. But as a Signal Corps Officer, he was most proud of the combat Infantry badge he earned during his second tour in Viet Nam.
He retired from army service in 1982 and taught Electrical Engineering at New Mexico State University for 14 years. His said students that if you wanted to be an Electrical Engineer you had to pass Pollard’s class.
After retirement from NMSU, he played golf at the NMSU Golf Course with his good golf buddies, and he also was very active with Habitat for Humanity where he helped build many homes in this area. Despite being a Southern boy, he loved New Mexico, performing his duties all over the massive missile range, enjoying his home in the historic Alameda District, and his regular consumption of green chili burgers.
He led a life of service to his country and was treasured by his family and friends. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Heather, his two children Rebecca (Scott) and Howard (Jenifer), and four grandchildren, Lynden, Catherine, Graham and London. He is predeased by his brother Charles Ayres Pollard, sister Helen Hogue Pollard Dawsey and daughter Elizabeth Ayres Pollard.
There will be no immediate services due to COVID but a celebration of his life will be held in the Spring for friends and family. He had the utmost respect for Habitat for Humanity International and the family asks that contributions be sent to the Las Cruces Habitat for Humanity, 720 N. Santa Fe Street, Las Cruces, NM.
