Charles Caldene Mace

Charles Caldene Mace

November 19th 1934 -June 9th 2024

Charles Caldene Mace “Cal” passed away Sunday June 9th 2024 of heart failure at St. Mary’s Hospital with his family by his side. He was Eighty-Nine years old. 

Cal was born November 19th, 1934 in Smith Center, Kansas along with his twin sister Charlene to their parents Charles and Melva Mace. Born early due to their mother being in a coma, they were cared for by their grandmother who lovingly cared for all their and their mothers needs the best she could. Being so tiny, she would place them in shoeboxes and place them on a radiator with a light bulb above them to give them as much warmth as possible while they were so very little and she would even feed them goats milk with an eye dropper. Because of all her care and love, they both went on to thrive and have lived a full life. 

When the children were still quite young, the family moved to Gunnison Colorado, where Cal would eventually graduate from Gunnison High school in 1953. That summer he would work for D&RG to pull the old narrow gauge spurs around Gunnison and in the fall he would attend Western State with a focus on history for his major. 

The Summer of 1956 he worked for the Forest service to break trails around the Gunnison Valley. Later that year his friend, Ted Moores, would invite him to a dance where he would meet the love of his life, Sylvia Moores. They married on May 25th 1958 and moved to California the next year where Cal would have a career with Sear’s as an Automotive instructor. Together, they raised three children- Steven, Vanessa and Mitch Mace.

In 1978 the Mace family would move to Grand Junction, Colorado where the couple would start their janitorial business until Cal would finally retire at the age of 88. 

“I lived the most wonderful life with the most wonderful people surrounding me and I was always in the right place at the right time” Cal would say all the time to his loved ones, friends and anyone that he would meet. For Cal, God came first, his family second and country third- a code he lived by and honored all of his life. He was known for his kindness and for being the most caring and giving man to those in his life. 

He loved to build and work on firearms, and he was known for his wealth of knowledge about them- a passion he would go on to share with those in his life who knew him well. 

He will be missed by the many people who knew him and whose lives he touched. He will be missed in the stories, the jokes, and in the wisdom and love he shared with whomever was near. 

He is survived by his son, Steven Mace of Peoria Arizona, his daughter, Vanessa Taylor of Crawford Colorado and his six grandchildren - Charles Mace of Grand Junction Colorado, Savana Reynolds of Fruita Colorado, Kayla Mace of Grand Junction Colorado, Emeline Basselt of Dixon Missouri and Lacey and Zackry Taylor of Crawford Colorado. 

Cal is also survived by fifteen Great GrandChildren!! 

Rogan, Robert, and Ryder Reynolds of Fruita Colorado

Cadence, Olivia, Arabella, Henry, and Maddilyn Mace of Grand Junction Colorado

Aubrey, Adalyn, Dawson, and Amelia of Dixon Missouri 

Delilah, Sawyer, and Juniper Taylor of Crawford Colorado 

He is preceded in death by his wife, Sylvia Mace, Son, Mitch Mace, Sister Charlene Johnson and his father and mother, Charles Mace and Melva Mace. 

A graveside service will be held on Saturday, August 17th 2024 at 11am at the Gunnison cemetery- followed by a reception at Webster Hall in Gunnison