Garth Lee Maxam, PhD 7/11/1944-11/14/2025 I lost my darling

Garth Lee Maxam, PhD 7/11/1944-11/14/2025 I lost my darling boyfriend and husband of 42 years to neuroinvasive West Nile Virus encephalopathy. Despite being on anti-rejection immunosuppressive drugs for his heart transplant in 2013, Garth fought valiantly and survived the viremia phase, succumbing to neurological effects after 2 ½ months in the hospital. Born in Decatur, MI to Harlan Maxam and Ruth Wilson Maxam, Garth was the eldest of six children on a small family farm in nearby Edwardsburg, he farmed and earned scholarships to eventually complete a PhD in Electrical Engineering at Michigan State University. In college, he found adventure through hitchhiking and trips out west, most notably to Glacier NP. Work life began at Detroit's GM Proving Grounds testing crash dummies, followed by a move to Albuquerque to join Boeing International. Eventually, he spent 30 years at Sandia National Labs and occasionally the other nuclear weapons facilities in NM and CA. Both being from Michigan, we found each other through racquetball and NM Arts n Crafts shows where Garth purchased artwork from me and we never looked back. He put his appreciative wife through veterinary medical school out of state and thereafter spent thirteen lovely years enjoying her alone before finally starting a family. Garth enjoyed horseracing both as a fan and an owner in NM and later in Texas. He loved studying pedigrees and breeding stock, and traveling to the great courses at Louisville, Saratoga and Santa Anita with his friend Phil Ward. Together, they began developing land on the west side of Albuquerque for homes, and he developed properties in MI as well. Garth never lost touch with his alma mater, attending MSU football and basketball games whenever possible. Leading an ever-adventurous life, he piloted a small plane, learned to sail, and rode horseback pub to pub across stretches of Ireland. His other interests included studying all the US presidencies, British history from the Vikings on, and finally the origins and politics of the never-ending conflicts in the Middle East. Garth stayed sharp into his 80s, ranking 7th in the world in a complex online Solitaire game. He leaves behind his adoring wife, Barbara Maxam, DVM; daughter, Clara Jean Maxam, DVM (Mason Buckland); and son, Jesse Lee Maxam, as well as brother, Keith Maxam (Linda) and family, Dwayne Maxam (Molly); and sister, Susan Maxam; and special nephews, Colin Andrew Maxam and Reed Ryle Pike; and finally our little dog, Izzy D. He was pre-deceased by his parents and recently by his younger siblings, Gary and Gwen Maxam; as well as his most beloved racehorse, John Adam, Border Collie Ava G, and a plethora of special family pets. There will be a relaxed gathering to celebrate this wonderful man's life on Dec. 7, 2025, 3-5 pm at our home in Corrales.