Shela Jane Wallace

It is with the utmost sorrow and a profound sense of loss that we announce the passing of Shela Wallace on December 20, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Shela was born on December 14, 1942 in Oklahoma City and was the daughter of Almon and Addie Wilson. She spent her early years in Oklahoma before moving to the small town of Springer in northern New Mexico where she attended junior high school. From Springer she moved a short distance away to Cimarron where her mother was the ranch cook at the CS Ranch--one of the largest in the state. Shela and her mother lived at the ranch and Shela attended Cimarron High School and graduated in 1960. While in high school she was involved in many school activities including cheerleading which was one of her passions. Shela was always a very hard worker and, in fact, first started working in Cimarron at age 13 in the local cafe. 

After high school she moved to Albuquerque and attended secretarial school. After a brief stint as a secretary she decided that that wasn't for her and she then enrolled at New Mexico Highlands University where she spent two years and then transferred to New Mexico State from which she graduated with a degree in English. Shela was married shortly after graduating to John Taylor and they moved to Corona, CA to begin their teaching careers. Shela taught junior high English for many years before moving to the high school level where she finished her career. Shela taught for 30 years and retired in 2000 and moved to Las Vegas, NV. She was widowed early in her teaching career and then remarried several years later, in 1979, to Bob Wallace, a fellow teacher. 

Shela was a truly outstanding, inspirational teacher dedicated to her profession and to her students. She was exceptionally creative and a meticulous planner who brought out the very best in her students. She was beloved by many of them as well as by her colleagues. Shela was outgoing and vivacious and had a sharp sense of humor and a wonderful, ready laugh. She truly had a sparking personality. 

In addition to her teaching expertise, Shela was an excellent cook and homemaker. She had an eye for style and fashion as well as a talent for decorating her homes which she loved to do. She was an avid reader, loved movies (particularly mysteries and musicals) and like nothing better than going shopping and looking for bargains. She also dearly loved camping all over the the western states in her trailer which she and her family did for many years. 

Her most exceptional quality however was her unbounded love for her family. She put their wellbeing above all else. No one ever had more love to give than Shela and she doted on her children and her husband. 

Shela was preceded in her passing by her parents and her three siblings: Almon Jr.,  Veneice, and Joe. Shela is survived by her husband of 45 years, Bob, her two children, Johnna Taylor and Steve Wallace, her sister-in-law Leta Wilson, and her brother-in-law Bill Wallace, as well as many relatives and close friends she made over the years. She was a beautiful person in innumerable ways and our world will never be the same without her. Her legacy is one of love and she will remain cherished and loved in our hearts forever.