WILLIAM T. WALLACE SR.

Posted

SLIDELL, La. - William T. Wallace Sr., a retired chaplin in the United States Air Force who earned the rank of lieutenant colonel during 20 years of service, died Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019, at the age of 91.

Bill was born in Columbia, a son of the late Dallas Cylde Wallace and Roberta Feagan Wallace. He graduated from Columbia High School, Draughon's Business College, Mars Hill Junior College, Furman University and the New Orleans Baptist Seminary, where he received a Master of Divinity Degree. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict. Following his marriage, he began his ministry as pastor of Enon Baptist Church in Camden, Alabama, and pastored Jamestown Baptist Church in Conway for four years before joining the U.S. Air Force as a Southern Baptist chaplain. His first assignment as a military chaplain was at Suffolk County Air Force Base, Long Island, New York, which was followed by assignments at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska; Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma; Nakon Phanom, Thailand; Lackland Air Force Base, Texas; Shaw Air Force Base; Osan, Korea; and Charleston Air Force Base.

While in Thailand, he trained a Thai pastor and led a local group that built the first protestant church in the city. During his military career, he earned numerous service, campaign and unit medals as well as 1 Bronze Star, 2 Air Force Commendation medals and 5 Air Force Meritorious Service Medals. Retiring to the Shaw AFB vicinity, he worked for a while with United Services Life Insurance Co. and continued his ministry through counseling, performing weddings, funerals and other Christian related activities. Records show that during his pastoral career, he performed more than 400 weddings. Bill was also a president of the Retired Officers Group and longtime member of the Retired Officers Golf Association.

Following the death of Anne Gibson Wallace, his life's love and wife of 63 years in 2015, he moved to Slidell, where his daughter and her family lived. Focusing on family, faith and golf, he joined First United Methodist Church, Pinewood Country Club and the ROB golf group and played as much golf as he could! Frequently finishing matches with winning scores, he also scored a hole-in-one at the age of 90.

Bill is survived by his daughter, Connie W. Hughes and husband, Ronald; son, William T. Wallace and wife, Sharon; grandchildren, Lauren Wallace, Logan Wallace and wife, Stephanie, Anna Hughes King and husband, Louie, and Sophie Rice; sister, Dallas Berry; six nieces; and three nephews.

The family is thankful for the outstanding care given to Bill by his doctors and their staffs in Slidell, with special thanks to Drs. Dauterive and McElveen, who went far beyond the bounds of medicine to help him.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a funeral service at 3 p.m. Sunday at First United Methodist Church in Slidell with visitation from 2 to 3 p.m. A reception will follow the service.

A graveside service with military honors will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Fort Jackson National Cemetery in Columbia.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to St. Jude's Children Hospital.

You may go to www.bullockfuneralhome.com and sign the family's guest book.

The family has chosen Bullock Funeral Home of Sumter for the arrangements.