William Thomas Wallace Sr.

Slidell, LA…William T. Wallace Sr., a retired Chaplin in the United States Air Force who earned the rank of Lieutenant Colonel during twenty years of service, died August 3, 2019, at the age of 91.

Bill was born in Columbia, S.C., and was the 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 the Enon Baptist Church in Camden, AL., and pastored the Jamestown Baptist Church in Conway, SC. 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 AFB, Long Island, which was followed by assignments at Eielson AFB, AK.; Tinker AFB, OK.; Nakon Phanom, Thailand; Lackland AFB, TX; Shaw AFB, SC.; Osan, Korea; and Charleston AFB, SC. 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 Company and continued his ministry through counseling, performing weddings, funerals, and other Christian related activities.  Records show that during his pastoral career, he performed over 400 weddings. Bill was also a president of the Retired Officers Group and long-time 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, LA, where his daughter and her family lived. Focusing on family, faith and golf, he joined the First United Methodist Church, Pinewood Country Club, 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, 6 nieces and 3 nephews. 

The family thanks 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 in Slidell at the First United Methodist Church on Sunday, August 1   8, 2019 at 3:00 p.m. with visitation from 2:00 to 3:00 PM.  A reception will follow the service.

 A graveside service with Military Honors will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 20, 2019 at Fort Jackson National Cemetery in Columbia, South Carolina.

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 Audubon Funeral Home of Slidell and Bullock Funeral Home of Sumter for the arrangements.

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