Jonathan Wallace

Jonathan Carter Wallace took his first breath on Oct. 3, 1959. He drew his last on July 4, 2015. What happened in between was remarkable. He loved nature all his life, and he climbed mountains and hiked wilderness fearlessly, always taking in the glory of Mother Earth, respecting all the creatures and cleaning up all his campsites, as well as those of others who were less scrupulous. He agonized about having once run over a box turtle on a highway, and he fed finches and sparrows every afternoon in his back yard. He was a master gardener and horticulturist who planted the first seeds at the Mesilla Valley Mall and kept a greenhouse for 40 years, filled with succulents and African violets. In his youth, he rocked the St. Paul's Methodist Church bell choir. In his adult years, he smoked cigars, and he loved a cold beer, and he was known to take a shot of tequila from time to time. He had adventures in Jeeps and trucks. The twinkle in his eye was always unforced, and always daring. In 2000, he married Alice, after a 10-year courtship, and they raised her son Geoff, and he made it his mission to ensure that when he was gone, she was on good financial footing, and ensconced in a comfortable, paid-for house, where their memories resonate and linger. In addition to Alice and Geoff (and Geoff's wife Tracey), he leaves behind two brothers, David and James. They are left behind only in the sense that Jon challenges them to carry forward his love for life and his undying commitment to family and friends. A lot of people define themselves by their careers. Jon's career was important, and he poured himself into it, but his values were nature, and friendship, and family, and solitude. For those who understand the magic of the Rocky Mountains, he was a veteran of The Fourteeners, and he had magical stories about each of them. He worked several years for The Greenhouse, and several more for Mesilla Valley Snacks, and he worked hard, and he took pride in what he did. But he would be the first to tell you that no one, ever, took a long look back at a life fading, and wished they'd spent more time in the office. Jonathan's holy time was in his garden. Jonathan's chapel was his home. Jonathan's saint was Alice. Jonathan's diversions were the dogs at home, and the trails of New Mexico, and the company of friends, and the smell of creosote in the desert rain, and the sound of a train in the distance. He carried his own weight his whole life, and when cancer came along he carried that extra weight without missing a step. Cancer claimed his body but his soul remains unfettered. He lived full-bore from the day he began to walk to the day he was unable to move. And he promised his family and friends that he would move to The Other Side without one single regret. His family and friends stood by his bedside while he hiked the last long pass, and then celebrated an Independence Day of dual (and remarkable) meaning. Jonathan Carter Wallace has now embarked on the greatest hike nature has to offer. He's navigating the Other Side, looking back at all of us who love him, and telling us that it'll be ok. At Jonathan's request, the body has been cremated, and the ashes will be scattered by family and friends at a later date. Jonathan made all the arrangements in advance with Getz Funeral Home. A celebration of his life will be held on the 10th of October. Please visit JonWallace.org or contact tribute@jonwallace.org for details. In lieu of flowers, the family -- with Jon's blessing -- requests donations to Mesilla Valley Hospice of Las Cruces (http://mvhospice.org/support/). He also left one last instruction: Wherever you are, invest at least one uninterrupted hour looking at the wonder of the world.