In Memory of John Laing

We are saddened to announce the passing of longtime New Mexico Mountain Club member John Laing. John was a valued part of our community for many years, and his warmth, generosity, and willingness to help others left a lasting impression on everyone who knew him.

John served as Climb Section Chair in 2003, led many NMMC climbing trips, and quietly made a lasting impact on the climbing community. For many, he was a familiar presence at Stone Age Climbing Gym, where he was always ready to lend a hand, offer encouragement, or help someone take practice falls. His kindness, generosity, and genuine happiness made him a friend to climbers of every experience level. Although he spent less time climbing outdoors in recent years, he remained dedicated to the sport, working with a trainer each week to build strength and continue pursuing the activity he loved.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to John's family.

John’s family is planning to host a memorial for his Albuquerque friends in September and we’ll share those details when we have them.

If you have photos or stories of John that you’d like to share, please email nmmtclub@gmail.com with your contributions.

“I took John on his graduation climb as part of the NMMC climb school. We climbed the route Waterstains on the Pulpit in the Sandia Mountains. Little did I know John would soon be leading the hard pitches for me! 

We enjoyed so many good times together. Some of the best, were backpacking in the Grand Canyon. I think it was John's favorite place. He did over 30 backpacks in the Canyon. I was lucky enough to go on four of those trips with him.

But we didn't just climb and backpack, we shared more than a couple of beers together. There is a funny picture of John (in drag) and Amy having dinner at O'Neals (photo posted below).

The going might have been tough, but he always had a smile on his face. I miss him.”

~ Jim Dennis

“I was lucky enough to meet John at one of my workshops at Stone Age a few years ago. We were working on body tension and I was surprised to see a man in his 70s show up ready to learn and try hard. By the end of the first day he'd won everyone over with his enthusiasm.

He started working with me 1:1 after that and I was constantly impressed at how excited he was to climb, to see me, and to just be in the world and the community he created at Stone Age every week. Our sessions would often hit minor delays as he introduced me to seemingly everyone in the gym, and they were always excited to see John showing up, trying hard, and having a great time.

One tangential story that I think represents John pretty well - he would occasionally interrupt a circle of boulderers working on a route at Stone Age so that he could go in and brush the holds on their project, giving them a bit of a pep talk in the process. When he walked off the mat, they'd pull back on and send. John would look at me and smile and say "I had to make them rest a little bit so they could do it" and wink. I think about that every time I brush a hard project these past few weeks.

For what it's worth I got to see John earlier this summer. He wasn't climbing, but he hadn't slowed down much. I brought him lunch and he was out doing yardwork and inspecting the work some contractors were doing on his house. He was just as sharp and excited and full of energy as he always was.”

~ Sebastian Bailey

“John Laing was the epitome of a person living a life to its fullest, in my opinion, including sharing his zest for life with others whenever possible. His enthusiasm for climbing, being outdoors, and life in general was infectious (in a very good way)!  If “Carpe Diem” wasn’t his formal life motto, it easily could have been!  We’ll all miss you, John.“

~ Dave Harding

“John was such a great guy always ready to help get you motivated to climb better solving problems. He will be missed dearly “

~ Greg Graef

“I first met John at Sandia Labs in 1995 when I started there. He was the Albuquerque site representative tech for the MTS Corporation. MTS manufactured mechanical test frame systems that many of the lab departments used to perform various life expectancy tests. He was a gifted technician, much appreciated by all of our departments. He eventually succumbed to Sandia’s temptations and started working for us as a contractor and finally as a full employee in my department taking over my position after my retirement in 2016.

He recruited me into NMMC and nudged me to become the Climb Chair in 2008. John was 2003 Climb Chair and we co-lead many Mountain Club and private climbing events over the years. I'm certain he and I swung leads on several hundreds pitches of climbing over the years.

John’s passing is a crushing loss of a great friend, climbing mentor, co-worker and fantastic human being. We will all miss his upbeat and supportive nature.”

~ Mark Grazier

“The one thing I’ll always remember about John is that he genuinely seemed happy to be exactly where he was.

At the gym, John was always looking out for other climbers. He loved helping people push themselves a little further, work through a problem, and especially learn that falling was nothing to be afraid of. He had a way of making you feel like you could do more than you thought you could. What I loved most was that he never made helping others feel like a lesson. He was just there, enjoying climbing and enjoying people. His enthusiasm was contagious, and his willingness to encourage others made the gym feel like a better place when he was there.

I’m grateful I got to climb with John and to know him. I’ll remember his smile, his encouragement, and that simple happiness he had in being part of the climbing community. We all are better for having been in his company. He will be deeply missed. “

~ Anna Brown