Major General Wade R Hedgecoke

Major General Wade R. Hedgecoke , age 85, passed away on Tuesday, January 24, 2017 in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Wade was born to R. H. "Coke" and Mary Hedgecoke in Stinnett, Texas, on November 26, 1931. He was raised in Ruidoso, New Mexico, alongside his sister Veda. He attended Ruidoso High School, graduating in 1951. He attended Texas Western College (since renamed the University of Texas at El Paso) on a football scholarship, graduating Cum Laude, with a distinguished military graduate, and he was named Who's Who among American Universities and Colleges. His college rifle team also won the William Randolph Hearst Collegiate National Rifle Championship. The team included one of best friends, Harry Lucker. Wade joined the U. S Army in 1955 and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant. After serving in the army for two years, Wade joined the National Guard where he served for over 33 years, retiring as a Major General in 1989. He also worked at White Sands Missile Range as an Operations Coordinator where he retired after 30 years of service in 1991. General Hedgecoke's decorations and awards include the Distinguished Rifleman Badge (the most prestigious individual marksmanship award in the United States), the Meritorious Service Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, the Army Service Ribbon and the Overseas Ribbon, and the New Mexico Long Service Medal. Wade loved to shoot, golf, hunt and fish with his family and friends. His civic affiliations included the National Guard Association of the United States, National Guard Association of New Mexico, the Reserve Officers Association, DeNoche Lions Club, the Picacho Gun Club, the New Mexico Shooting Sports Association, the National Rifle Association, the White Sands Office Club, the Las Cruces Country Club, the Mesilla Valley Fly Fishing Club, and Heart for the World Church. Wade was a participant in the Senior Olympics where he won numerous shooting gold medals in recent years. Wade is survived by his loving wife Martha Collins Hedgecoke of 39 years, his four children, Danny (Linda), Bob (Cindy), David, and Terri; his grandchildren Jessica Dawn, Brandy, Martin, Sandy, Raythe , Kecia, Ryan and Chris; and many great grandchildren . He is also survived by his sister Veda Tucker (Bill), and their children Robin Dooley (Boyd) and Richard Lee Tucker and by his brother-in-law Terry Collins and sister-in-law Joy Bauer (Dallas) and her children Jamie Gardner (Grant) and Austin Wade Cottingim (Julie). Visitation for Major General Hedgecoke will be from 5 PM to 7 PM, Monday, January 30, 2017 at Getz Funeral Home, on the corner of Solano and Bowman Avenue. To sign our local online guest book , please log on to www.GetzCares.com . Funeral services will be at 9:30 AM on Tuesday, January 31, 2017 at Heart for the World Church, 1605 S. Valley Drive, Las Cruces, NM with a reception following. Burial will be at Fort Bliss Cemetery at 2:30 PM on the same date. In lieu of flowers please make donations to Heart for the World Church. Pallbearers are Bob, David, Danny, Raythe , Martin and Chris Hedgecoke . Honorary pallbearers are Austin Wade Cottingim, Stone Olimb, Al Wells, Jerry Daugherty, Pete Bauer, Dallas Bauer, Grant Gardner, Terry Collins, Bill Black, Jim Rix, Vic Rose, David Payne, Todd Bensley and John Deverey . The Hedgecoke family would like to thank the following doctors who went above and beyond to provide care to Wade over the last few months of his life. Luis R. Colato, MD Azhar Zahir, MD Michael, Castisll, MD Komandoor Srivathsan, MD at the Mayo Clinic Peter Ternedde, PHD PDF Printable Version