Official Obituary of Ryan Shae Pettigrew March 7, 1982 ~ May 10, 2024 (age 42)

Ryan Shae Pettigrew known to all as “Shae”, 42 of Midland, TX, passed away on May 10, 2024.  A come and go visitation will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, 2024 at Nalley-Pickle and Welch Funeral Home.  There will be a funeral service in Portales, NM at Wheeler Mortuary on Monday, May 20, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. with Matt Rush officiating, and a burial to follow at Kenna Cemetery. A Celebration of Life Party with food, music and dancing to honor all of Shae’s favorite things is being planned at a later date. Shae was born on March 7, 1982 in Albuquerque, NM, and adopted by Kit and Ann Pettigrew at the age of 9 days old.  Shae grew up in Dora, NM where he attended first grade through 12th grade.

In 1991, at the age of 9, Shae began showing pigs.  His dad, Kit, was the Ag teacher; however, Shae was too young to be in Ag, so he joined 4-H to be able to show at jackpots and fairs.  He took one pig to the NM State Fair.  There were a total of 1001 pigs that entered in 1991 and Shae ended up winning Grand Champion.  Shae also won the Roosevelt County Fair pig show in 1998.In 1996, as a freshman in high school, he was on the Dairy Judging team with his dad as his Ag teacher.  They won 2nd place at the State Judging contest.  The first-place team was unable to attend the Nationals, so Shae’s team was able to go in their place.  They placed second in the Nation and Shae was third highest individual.  They were given the opportunity to participate in the World Judging contest in Edinburgh, Scotland.

In 2009, his daughter Mallary was born.  She was his pride and joy.  He enjoyed teaching her how to ride horses and instilled his passion for cooking in her.  They loved to go fishing and being outdoors.  Mallary’s recent fondest memory of her dad was him teaching her how to ride jet skis at a family friend’s lake house.

In 2017, Shae met the love of his life Jen and; they married in 2018. He would always say, “she’s the best thing I ever found on the internet.” They shared a love for live music and would celebrate birthdays and anniversaries by attending concerts and music festivals. Shae has traveled the world and has never met a stranger, but he cherished a small circle of friends above all others.

A very special thanks to Dewey Taylor, Michael Richards, and Frank Doyle for always standing firm at Shae’s side no matter what.

In Shae’s adolescent years he loved hunting rabbits with his Pepaw.  Later in life Shae developed a love for cooking and entering BBQ competitions.  He enjoyed experimenting with new recipes and sharing his creations with those he loved most. He met many friends through this passion of his as well as his love for fantasy football. His absolute favorite place to be was under the stars, camping, fishing and just being able to enjoy God’s beautiful country sitting next to a campfire.

He is survived by his wife Jennifer Harkey of Midland, daughter Mallary Pettigrew, stepsons Jacob and Jayden Harkey; his parents Kit and Ann Pettigrew of Dora, NM, sister D’Shawn Osburn and husband Kerry of Dora, NM and their children Kady and Kayson; and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins as well as a whole army of friends.  He is preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Jake and Maurene Howard and paternal grandparents, John and Maurine Pettigrew, and several other family members.

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