Gary W. Wallace

Gary W. Wallace, 65, of Horicon, Wisconsin, stepped into the loving arms of his Lord and Savior on Friday, July 31, after battling pancreatic cancer…his loving wife at his side. He was born November 22, 1949 in Yakima, Washington. He married the love of his life, Wendy Mueller, on February 24, 2001 at Hartford Assembly of God in Hartford, WI. It was a wet, snowy day but that did not hinder the love shared on that joyous occasion. Gary is survived by his wife, Wendy; brother Bob & his wife Kitty; daughter Annette and children Rachel & David; daughter Jamie and children Jasmine, Kalilah, & Jadion; brothers-in-law Thomas, Steve & his wife Kathy; two feline ‘freeloaders’ – Patches & Munchkin and numerous relatives and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents Darrell & Leola Wallace, son-in-law Toby, and their first cat, Molly. Gary proudly served our country as a Field Radio Mechanic in the Army at Fort Sill of Oklahoma. He later went on to be a Tank Communications/Radio Operations Mechanic in the U.S. Army National Guard of Yakima, Washington. His last position held was the Communications Chief in the Oregon National Guard of Coos Bay, Oregon, for a combined total of approximately 6 years. He ended his military service with an E-6 ranking. He was a very intelligent man and had two Associate Degrees; one in Arts in Education with a major in Electronics, and another in Applied Science. His employment history includes 11 years as an Electronics Instructor and 23 years with TV broadcasting and engineering. He designed a hearing testing system for the Industrial Hearing Conservation, and created and designed handicap accessible equipment for the High Technology Center for the Handicapped. In addition to this, Gary also enjoyed volunteering at the Washington School for the Blind and he held several FCC licenses and a private pilot’s license. A proud moment in Gary’s life was the time when, as an expert defense witness, he was able to provide testimony for an OSHA case that saved one of the initial child car seat companies from going out of business. In addition to his military and work history, he was actively involved in helping to train and empower others to serve in various capacities at church. Gary really loved to read and was especially fond of Tom Clancy and Arthur C. Clarke novels. Documentaries about war and historic events were also a passion of his. In his later years, he wrote a “prepper” novel and had been working on 2 sequels. He had a heart for children. His 5 grandchildren brought joy to his heart and a smile to his face. Often little kids would confuse him for Santa Clause, especially during the winter when he would let his beard grow thicker. He was baptized in the Jordan River, the same river that Jesus was baptized in, and that was an experience he would always cherish. He often commented on his trip to Israel that upon entering the country he felt as if he was ‘home’. As a man that had complete confidence in his salvation in Christ, he was not afraid to pass from this life. He was at peace with whatever the Lord had in store for him and would use this journey as a mechanism in which to share the gospel of Jesus with others. His faith inspired many and he will be deeply missed by his family and friends. Visitation will be held at Harvest Evangelical Free Church on Friday, August 7, from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. and on Saturday, August 8, from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon. The funeral service will be on Saturday, August 8, at 12:00 noon, with graveside services immediately following. The church is located at W7444 Hwy 33, Beaver Dam, WI 53916. Interment will be held at the Ashippun Lutheran Cemetery.