Honoring Gary’s Journey to the Stars
As part of our Ashes to Space™ mission, we spotlight the lives and legacies of those who orbit with us—our Ashtronauts. Each tribute is submitted by loved ones who share a story, photos, and the spirit of someone worth remembering.
Ashtronaut is the designation earned by individuals participating in Space Beyond’s Ashtronaut™ Program.
Today, we honor: Ashtronaut Gary Dale Wallace
From: Strang, OK
Shared by: Michelle Stoots, Daughter
These stories remind us why this mission matters—not just for space exploration, but for love, remembrance, and connection.
He Taught Me to Look Up
When I was a little girl, my dad would take me outside on clear nights, spread a blanket on the ground, and together we would stare up at the stars.
We lived far out in the country, away from the city lights, where the night sky seemed endless. Dad would point out satellites silently making their way across the darkness, teaching me how to distinguish them from airplanes. We would talk about the stars, the planets, the vastness of space, and all the mysteries waiting to be discovered.
I didn’t know it then, but those nights would shape my life in ways I couldn’t have imagined.
My dad was a mechanic by trade, but an explorer at heart. He was endlessly curious about how things worked, especially anything with wings, wires, or the ability to leave Earth’s atmosphere. He loved aviation, technology, astronomy, and the space program. He was the kind of man who could fix almost anything, but what fascinated him most were the things humanity hadn’t yet figured out.
When I was growing up, Dad would keep me home from school to watch space shuttle launches. While other kids were learning in classrooms, I was sitting beside my dad, watching history being made and dreaming about what lay beyond our little planet.
He gave me telescopes for birthdays and Christmases, and together we explored the night sky, looking millions of years into the past through the light of distant stars.
As I grew older, our shared fascination never faded. I eventually took up astrophotography, spending long nights with telescopes and cameras capturing galaxies, nebulae, and distant corners of the universe. Sometimes Dad would come along, keeping me company while I worked. He loved seeing the photographs and learning how those faint points of light became extraordinary images.
It was our thing. A connection that belonged just to the two of us.
Before Dad died, I told him I wanted to send some of his ashes into space.
He thought it was pretty cool, but in typical Dad fashion, he said, “Don’t waste your money on that, Sis. I’ll be dead and won’t know.”
I told him I understood.
But it wasn’t really for him. It was for me.
Because when his spacecraft reaches orbit, I’ll be able to follow its journey across the sky. I’ll know when it’s passing overhead, whether I’m standing in my backyard, traveling somewhere far from home, or simply looking out at the stars on a quiet evening.
And every time it passes, I’ll have a chance to look up, smile, and say, “Hey, Dad. I miss you.”
The little girl who once lay on a blanket beside her father, watching satellites cross the heavens, will now be watching one carrying a small part of him.
Dad gave me a lifelong love of the universe. He taught me to be curious, to ask questions, to marvel at things I couldn’t explain, and to never stop looking up.
And now, in a way neither of us could have imagined all those years ago, our tradition will continue.
He spent my childhood teaching me how to find satellites in the night sky.
Now I’ll spend the rest of my life looking for his.
Godspeed, Dad. I’ll be watching.
A Journey Beyond Earth
A portion of Gary’s ashes will be launched to space aboard our upcoming mission, where they will orbit Earth as part of a lasting celestial tribute.
Whether stargazing from home or tracking the spacecraft through the app, Gary’s loved ones will be able to follow the journey—knowing that their story is quite literally written in the stars.
Tribute Gallery – Ashtronaut Gary Dale Wallace
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