Charles Loomis

Charles Stephen ("Steve") Loomis passed to our Lord Jesus Christ on Thursday, June 11, 2015, at the age of 94. He passed very peacefully in his room at the Adobe Assisted Living in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where he had resided, living in close proximity to his daughter, Janet, for the past five years. He was surrounded by loving caretakers and his daughter, Janet Sands, at his passing.

Charles S. Loomis was born at home to Guy Paul and Pauline Loomis in Mountain Park, New Mexico, on April 9, 1921, in the Village of Old Wooten where the old train used to stop to take on water, just below Cloudcroft in the Sacramento Mountains. His father, Guy Paul Loomis, was a farmer who raised cherries and apples. Steve Loomis often shared stories of his childhood in the mountains and stories of the times he spent there with his cousins, Bill and Sidney Mauldin. He never ceased loving those mountains, and he made his last trip to Cloudcroft with his daughters, Janet Sands and Glenda Nelson, in February of 2015.

When he was a teenager, Steve Loomis' father moved the family to Las Cruces, New Mexico, where his father went into business with his brothers (Steve Loomis' uncles) making harnesses for horses and awnings for carriages, and later, awnings for vehicles and for such interesting places in Las Cruces as the old Loretto Academy. Steve learned the upholstery business from his father and as time went by, the business grew into a very successful and thriving Las Cruces business. Many were the fascinating and humorous stories he could tell about his teenage and early adult years in Las Cruces.

After working with his father in the family business, Charles S. Loomis served overseas in the Army of the United States during World War II where he became a Staff Sergeant. He was a marksman with a 45 Cal pistol, and he served in the 604th Materiel Squadron in what was then called the Asiatic Pacific Theater. He was honorably discharged on April 20th of 1946. He received a World War II Victory Medal, a Good Conduct Medal, an Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, and an American Campaign Medal.

Charles S. Loomis (Steve) and Ethel Pauline Mulinex (Polly) were married on May 2, 1947, in Portales, New Mexico. The couple resided in Las Cruces for several years after which they moved to Alamogordo, New Mexico. Steve Loomis was employed at Land Air and in some of his earlier work, he worked with the development of the rocket sleds at Holloman AFB. He was later employed by Lockheed Missile Space where he made his life's career working with the missile and space program as an electronics technician, and sometimes, a technical writer. The couple was transferred by Lockheed to Sunnyvale, California, in 1960, where he and his family lived until Steve and wife, Polly, returned to Las Cruces in 1978. Before retiring from Lockheed around 1984, Steve Loomis took an integral part in the preparation of the runway for the space shuttle which was forced to make an unexpected landing at White Sands Missile Range.

Our father, Charles Stephen Loomis, was a wonderful, loving, generous, and caring Christian man; a man loved and respected by all who had the opportunity to know him and work with him; a man dearly loved by all of his family. Who could ever forget his gentle nature, his quick and witty sense of humor, and his twinkling blue eyes which faded with age, but still twinkled? Who could ever forget the love he always shared so spontaneously with all of us or his care and compassion for so many other people? He was a wonderful husband to our mother, a very special father and grandfather, and a man who enjoyed people -- he never met a stranger. He also enjoyed carpentry, upholstery work, drawing and cartooning, reading his Bible and Western novels, following politics, and creating beautifully landscaped yards and the homiest of homes with our mother. Both Steve and Polly loved animals, and they also housed their share of pets - many adopted stray or rescued animals -- during their lifetimes.

Charles S. Loomis is survived in passing by his daughters, Janet Sands of Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Glenda Nelson of Kuna, Idaho. His wife of almost sixty-three years, Ethel P. (Polly) Loomis; his son, Paul Morgan Loomis; his daughter, Susan Loomis Warlick; and his granddaughter, Cindy Warlick Smith, passed to the Lord before him. .

Charles S. Loomis is also survived by seven grandchildren: Jeffrey Warlick, North Carolina; Cary Sands, Washington state; Robert (Rob) Sands, Michigan; Lindsey Hunt, Idaho; Eryn Turner, Idaho; Caitlin Hogge, Washington state; and Alyssa Ingrahm; Idaho; by fourteen great-grandchildren: Ryan and Hayley Smith; Damon and Travis Warlick; Amethyst and Cory Sands; Cody and Jacob Sands; Jackson and Ava Terrell and newborn, Niko Ventura; Liam and Avia Turner; Gabrielle Hogge; and by two great-great grandchildren, Adam Reese and Scarlet Sands.

Any and all who knew Charles ("Steve) Loomis, or are friends of the family, are invited to attend his memorial service (our celebration of his life) to be held Friday, September 25, 3pm, in the chapel at La Paz-Grahams Funeral Home, 555 W. Amador, in Las Cruces, NM. Pastor Doug Cowan of Cornerstone Baptist (the church formerly attended by Steve Loomis) will officiate. The services will be followed by Military Honors at the Masonic Cemetery at 4pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to an organization of your choice assisting America's military Vets in memory of Charles S. Loomis. He was always so proud and happy to have served his country during World War II, and he and wife, Polly, were always so concerned about America's Veterans in need of help or assistance.

Both Janet Sands and Glenda Nelson extend heartfelt thanks to the staff of the Adobe Assisted Living ("God's little angels") and to the Mesilla Valley Hospice nurses for the very special and loving care given to our father at the end of his earthly life. We know where he is now -- at home with our Lord. He said, before he passed, that he saw Jesus' farm and all of the beautiful flowers and the animals in heaven.

There's no fences in heaven, Dad! You were so radiant and glowing the night you were passing; talking to someone - an angel? Mom? Or, perhaps, our Lord, Jesus? Your last earthly breath was your first breath in eternity. We rejoice for you even though we miss you terribly. Until we see you again and always, we love you, Dad. We love you, "Gramps," so very, very much.