Zane Keith Clayshulte

Zane Keith Clayshulte, known to many as Keith, was born in Santa Monica, CA to Zane and Mary Clayshulte in 1950. He was a straight-shootin' free spirit with a BIG personality. He was an avid lover of nature, animals, and John Wayne; and was deeply devoted to his loved ones.

As a boy he and friends spent their days catching horny toads and swimming in the Pacific Ocean, while his summers were spent here in southern New Mexico. Here he forged life-long bonds with his uncles and cousins hunting and camping in the Gila wilderness.

In his teen years he relocated with his parents and sister to New Jersey. A natural-born businessman, Keith and his fellow teenage compatriots capitalized on nearby New York's more liberal alcohol laws, and briefly operated as black-market beer distributors within their Catholic high school.

Returning to New Mexico for college, Keith ultimately took up flying, which resulted in his working on a spray project for the NMDA. This is where he met the love of his life Maggie Stefano. The pair hit it off on their first date performing helicopter repairs on the side of Mt. Capulin near Springer, NM and later married.

After finishing his MBA and having many adventures in California and Utah, Keith and Maggie finally settled down in the Las Cruces area to grow their family. Thanks to his charismatic personality, Keith quickly formed friendships with nearly all his regular associates, be they his neighbors, his beloved hunting buddies, poker club, fellow Lion's Club members, coworkers, and even local businesses owners. And, his charisma didn't stop at humans, as he had an innate rapport with many nonhuman animals. He was known to rescue dogs, cats (even though he was allergic), horses, and even once nursed a wounded hawk back to health.

A devoted father, Keith was involved in his daughter's life and was active in fostering the local youth. He proudly served as Girl Scout Troop leader and as a shooting instructor for the Valle Verde 4-H club.

He will be greatly missed by those who knew him. He is survived by his wife Maggie Clayshulte, daughter Amelia Clayshulte Abraham, sister Mary Ann Clayshulte, son-in-law David Abraham, and beloved dogs Abby and Tessa. A celebration of his life will be held on Thursday, March 30th at 1:30 pm at Getz Funeral Home.

Service Details.
Service When
Thursday, March 30, 2023 1:30pm
Location
Getz Funeral Home Chapel
Address
1410 E. Bowman Ave.
Las Cruces, NM 88001