Amelia Ann Wallace

Amelia Ann Wallace, of Albuquerque, NM passed away peacefully on May 25, 2025 at the remarkable age of 104. Celebrating and commemorating her years as a centenarian was a beautiful and time-honored tradition of the family. A lifelong practitioner of her deep Catholic faith, she was a member of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish, was active in the Rosary Altar Society and lovingly administered communion to disabled and sick homebound parishioners. As part of her impressive work ethic and loving heart, to stay connected, she made daily telephone calls or visits to her friends or relatives and always had inspiring words to write and send throughout the years. An extraordinary and highly independent woman, her legacy of love, grace, generosity of spirit, compassionate humanity towards others and a refreshing sense of humor are glimmers of her secret to longevity and a well-lived life.

Amelia was born to Jose Alcario, Sr. and Faustina Garcia Martinez, in the ranching community of La Pintada, NM, on April 1, 2021. Coming from a family with 14th generation roots in New Mexico, her childhood was spent on her family's ranch with her parents and eight beloved siblings. She attended school in Santa Rosa, NM and later at Highlands University in Las Vegas, NM., then lived and worked in Denver for a brief time. She also resided in Santa Fe and Espanola. In 1948 she married Gilbert Alexander Wallace, of Wagon Mound, NM and they had three children, Alex, Eric and Genie. In addition to working for the United States Postal Service as a mail carrier, she was a frequent volunteer at schools, voting/polling places, as well as at church or community-related fundraisers and events.

Her favorite passions were playing board games with family members into her late nineties, working crossword puzzles, traveling with her children, attending and supporting her grandchildren's or great grandchildren's academic and athletic events, spending quality time with her family, cultivating and nourishing life-long friendships, baking and sharing the most delicious, sought-after homemade empanadas, pastelitos and biscochitos, and sharing fond memories of her life's events and family friends who she grew up with. She was an elegant, gracious woman who was also a precious, devoted, loving, and highly regarded mother, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, grandmother, great grandmother, friend and neighbor.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, son Eric Wallace, and daughter-in-law Shelley (Navoda) Wallace; sisters Rogaciana (Claudio) Nelson, Sabina (Joe T.) Gonzalez, Frances (Joaquin) Campos; her brothers Jose Leon (Rita) Martinez, Porfirio "Rudy" (Marjorie and Annie) Martinez; Napoleon (Utilia) Martinez, Jose Alcario Jr. (Stella) Martinez, and Faustin Martinez; in-laws Alejandro and Camila (Gaussoin) Wallace, James Wallace, Nancy Wallace, Alfred (Sally) Wallace, Mary Wallace (Arthur) Esquibel, Dorothe Wallace (Pete) Santistevan; Eugene (Theresa) Wallace and several uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, cousins and dear friends.

She is survived by her son Alex J. Wallace and daughter-in-law Pam; daughter Genie Wallace; grandchildren Scott Wallace (Nicole), Fred Lorek (Ivete), Jilian Lopez (Thomas), Alaric Lopez, Addy Lopez, Sinead Lopez; great grandchildren Anthony and Freddy Lorek, Romola and Rhys Kenny; and beloved family dog Hiroshi.

The following services will honor and celebrate Amelia's life:

Rosary recitation on Tuesday, June 10th, at 6:00 pm at French Mortuary Westside, 9300 Golf Course Road NW, ABQ, NM 87114. Please join us for refreshments and memorial photos following the Rosary.

Christian Burial Mass, on Wednesday, June 11th, at 9:00 am at Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish, 5415 Fortuna Rd. NW, ABQ, NM 87105

Interment on Thursday, June 12th, at 10:00 am at the National Cemetery in Santa Fe, NM

We wish to extend a heartfelt thank-you to Ambercare/Addus Hospice and their employees, Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish and French Mortuary for the care and support provided to the Wallace family