Spencer J. Wallace

Spencer Wallace passed away Wednesday, June 21st, 2017, after 30 years of blazing a trail so unique only he - and his furry four-legged pal Tucker - could hike through it. He was known to friends for his infectious laugh that spread through a room and to strangers who wondered what was making those rooms of people smile so broadly. Spencer was a hiker, a mountain biker, a carpenter, and an explorer, but also a son, a brother, and a friend to an ever-growing number of people. He was born on January 27th, 1987, to parents Karen (Sinclair) Wallace and Barton Wallace. He is survived by Karen and Bart, his six siblings Mackenzie, Devin, Christopher, Elizabeth, Allison, and Paige, step-mother Eileen Wallace, and many aunts, uncles, and cousins. He is predeceased by siblings Colin and Jaime, grandparents Jo and James Sinclair, grandparents Betty and Floyd Wallace, and uncle Brent Wallace. Spencer approached life not from the beaten path but from a desire to carve his own way through life. He was a man of his hands and built what he needed, taking what others would toss off and craft it into beautiful furniture, most of it resting by the many campfires in his life. Spencer was a man of the outdoors and relished an adventure, never passing up a chance to climb, climb higher, climb further, climb to where he would see new sights and make new memories. Those that knew him were often swept up - sometimes willingly, sometimes with a little bearded cajoling - in the adventures, never to their regret. From teenage years spent exploring campgrounds across New York with his cousins to years spent kayaking on the Schroon River, to time spent sunning on beaches in Florida or walking with his dog Tucker on the Hudson, Spencer was always searching. Searching for that adventure, searching for those memories, and you can bet the good money he found them. Spencer was a man of challenges, whether it was a construction project on the YMCA or a leaky pipe in his father's house that his two younger brothers looked at for a moment and, then, with all the intelligent airs they could muster, said "call Spence." He took life like a challenge, not without it's ups and downs, it's setbacks, and it's grayer moments. But his spirit never wavered, and in the face of hardship, he'd pull that shoulder-length hair back, throw on some slick shades, and deliver a pitch perfect McConaughey: "alright, alright, alright." Spencer was a man of the simple things. Days spent strumming a guitar, learning a new tune, running through his encyclopedic Seinfeld knowledge to anyone who would listen: these things made him happy. He knew life wasn’t always lived at the peak of the mountain and most days he was content to lay in the shade at the base. Spencer made things alright, for everyone around him. He was always a call away, to family, to friends, to someone he had just met. Everyone that met him, for a day, a year, or a lifetime, is better for it. Every adventure he had, every memory made, will continue to exist, grow, and be loved by those who knew him. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend calling hours at The W. C. Brady’s Sons, Inc. Funeral Home 97 Mansion Street, Coxsackie, New York, on Monday, June 26, 2017 from 4:00P.M. -8:00 P.M. Funeral service will take place on Tuesday, June 27, 2017, at 10:00 A.M. at St. Mary’s R.C. Church, Coxsackie. Contributions in his memory may be made to The National Park Foundation, 1110 Vermont Avenue NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC, 20005 or to The National CMV Foundation, P.O. Box 18322, Tampa, Florida, 33679. Condolences may be made at www.wcbradyssonsinc.net.

Spencer J. Wallace

January 27, 1987 - June 21, 2017