We returned home Thursday PM from Pacific Beach, CA to Santa Fe for Celebration of Life of Jim Walters. He has been gone physically for almost six-months now, but yesterday’s gathering showed how much he is still with us. Sue Kozacek, his love of 31-years set the tone with stories of their many adventures together: noting his immense sense-of-humor and the non-professional/non-National Park Service (NPS) passions of his life: woodworking, motorcycling, traveling and World War II history. Jim’s sister Candy provided several initial family memories (followed by many others). Tony Bonanno (Regional Chief Ranger & Jim’s NPS supervisor and friend) provided the context of joys and challenges working with Jim in our mission of preservation. I shared a few memories too, like the following:
“Good Afternoon & THANK YOU for being here remembering & sharing our memories of Jim Walters. For some of us, he was a colleague, friend, compadre; for a couple of us a brother, companion & sweetheart; for ALL of us, a champion of nature.
Jim & I also shared memories of growing up in SoCal, going to Humboldt State (showed my HSU t-shirt underneath), and working for the National Park Service. He was a Ranger early in his career and a noted Resource Specialist later. I have a few distinct memories regarding Jim, which I’d like to share:
1. He loved the wild: be it wildlife or wilderness. When I went to Australia for a month in ’98, of course it was Jim that lent me a copy of the book “Birds of” for my trek down-under. He loved ground dwelling mammals too: a friend to the working prairie dog. My first memory of Jim was as a defender of wilderness principles. It was over the logistical use of helicopters in Bandelier’s backcountry. As this year’s “Papers of the Archaeological Society of New Mexico (volume #49) points out you can protect both cultural resources and wilderness values. Of course Jim loved heritage resources, as well; anyone that discussed WW II with him knows that. How many of us have made the pilgrimage to Adm. Yamamoto’s crash site in the Pacific?
2. Jim & I had offices next door to each other in the Old Santa Fe Trail Bldg. The outer walls were thick, but the old wooden door between us- not so much. When he was in the office it was hard not to hear him on the phone: his baritone laugh; yuckin’-it-up. You could tell he certainly loved his job.
3. When I hosted a going away lunch for a beloved US Park Police Captain (Sal Lauro) who was going back to D.C. (he’d eventually become “Chief”) I had a grand time telling stories and jokes. Immediately afterwards Jim came up and busted me, saying: “You sure were lucky that ‘Prairie Home Companion’ had their annual Joke Show last Saturday” – Bingo, he was spot on.
4. However, most importantly, I recall that ever since Meme’s stroke and subsequent heart surgery (mid-90’s) he ALWAYS asked about her health and status. Also, when I got diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a couple years back he’d inquire each time we spoke or emailed – he cared, truly cared.
THANKS for being you Jim: thanks for caring…”
In addition, here are some add’l memories of “A LIFE VERY WELL LIVED”
A favorite memory involving Jim & I:
Jim & I were members of a NPS & FHWA softball team in Santa Fe: Los Paisaños Lentos. We had some really good times together.
Anyway, one fine late winter/early spring Saturday morning at Carlos Rey we had a practice and I was in left field when Jim stepped to the plate: we were simulating game conditions with hitters & runners. Jim blasted a streaking line drive that looked “way over my head” to my right: it had triple or inside-the-park homer written all over it. I turned and sprinted 45-degrees as the ball was a zinger. I stuck my glove out, following the old adage that "you just might catch something. I did: the ball went deeply into my glove. It was the luckiest & best catch I'd ever made (including college baseball). Jim was livid, immediately shouting out: "Young, you couldn't do that again in a thousand years..."
We all shared a good laugh, as Jim was right-on!
