South Central Llama Association

Boyce Stalter, long-time SCLA member, passed away December 19, 2020. Boyce and his wife Sally (they married in 1986) lived in Baytown, TX and moved to Huntsville in 2002 where they built a new home and farm for their llamas and horses. They joined SCLA in 1990, having bought their first llamas that spring.

Boyce was an enthusiastic SCLA member. He served on the board of directors as the director for Region 4 from 1998-2000. Both Boyce and Sally were regular exhibitors at many of the SCLA-sponsored shows, meetings and playdays. Boyce served on the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo - Llama Committee for quite some time, a nearly year-round "job" that required many meetings. He and Sally were strong supporters of the SCLA Youth Program and Sally loved working with llama fiber. Boyce sometimes accompanied Sally to spinning competitions held during the Kid & Ewe fiber festivals in the 2000s.

He also contributed a short article to the May 1995 Humming Herald, describing how Sally wanted to take her spinning wheel along on their trip to the Celebrity Sale in Oklahoma City, so he removed the center bench seat in their van so Sally could be in the back spinning along the way. Turned out to be a wise move since of course a llama came home with them, replacing the wheel for the return trip. Boyce told of the numerous "looks" that received from passing cars, writing "For the sake of public safety, I may be forced to get the windows tinted in the van".

My husband Jim and I first met Boyce and Sally in 1993 at the SCLA conference. It was the start of a life-long friendship. Sally became SCLA president in 1994, serving a 2-year term. It was at the suggestion of Boyce that the SCLA finance committee approved funds to purchase a llama restraint chute for the veterinary hospital at Texas A&M - the first one the university had. The chute was gratefully accepted by Dr. Mark Drew in February 1994.

Boyce would do shearing for others when needed. He and Sally went to the Children's Zoo in Houston to shear three llamas who really needed a haircut before summer. Boyce managed nicely to shear an 8-yr old male who had not been haltered in years!

He also gamely ferried llamas to all manner of community events like schools, nursing homes, libraries and scout troops. As membership secretary, I lost track of the number of new members who were sponsored by Boyce and Sally.

Boyce was always a beacon of good will and hope. He will be sorely missed. Please keep Sally and the Stalter family in your prayers.

Sally Stalter
78 O'Bannon Ranch Rd.
Huntsville, TX 77320