Earl D. James, 82, of Espanola, NM, formerly of Santa Fe, passed on October 3, 2026, after a brutal battle with ALS. He was born June 1, 1944, to Helen Maxine (Gordon) and Jean Earl James and grew up in the Midwest, remembering his childhood dogs and Oak Grove, MO, with particular affection. 

A writer and a lover of nature, he spent his life as a champion of the underserved and the environment, both personally and as a professional nonprofit fundraiser and advocate. Drafted during the Vietnam War, he spent two years in the Panama Canal Zone (hence the ALS). After being discharged he attended college in Arkansas, eventually receiving a master’s degree from George Washington University, and worked in historic preservation in Pittsburgh and Washington, DC. 

He moved to Santa Fe in 2000, and in 2011 published the award-winning novel Bella Coola: The Rainforest Brought Them Home. 

He is survived by his wife, Karen Walker, siblings Tom James and Beverly Boetel, both of Denver, and Alan James of Houston, and many loving nieces and nephews. 

Special thanks to extraordinary caregivers Nikki, Alicia, and Petra, and to Dr. Leah Becker. 

Services pending.

The family of Earl James has entrusted the care of their loved one to DeVargas Funeral Home & Crematory of the beautiful Espanola Valley.  505-747-7477