Wallace "Wally" Bennett Lea Jr

Wallace is survived by his sister Marjorie Murphy, his children Stephen Jay Lea of Rockland, ME, Victoria (Lea) and Robert Marnick of Jacksonville, FL, and Pamela (Huffman) and Richard Scot Lea of Manassas, VA. He has 9 grandchildren – Judith (Lea) Harrington, Michael Lea, Jared Lea, Fred Osgood, Brian Osgood, Sherry (Lea) Williams, Karen Lea, Jennifer Lea, and Katie (Lea) Rhodes. He was also blessed with several great grandchildren AND great, great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Carol Nicholson Gray, his sister Virginia Pryor, and his second wife, Jacquelyn Lea.

Wally was born in Providence, RI on February 1st, 1929. He was the second child, and the only son, of Marguerite Elizabeth Stott and Wallace Bennett Lea, Sr.

Wally spent much of his childhood living in Oakland Beach, RI. He played on the high school football team and worked nights and weekends filling the grab rings at the Oakland Beach Arcade Carousel as well as cleaning/maintaining several local chicken barns and other odd jobs to make money. After high school he joined the United States Marine Corps, serving four years in the Korean War. It was during this time that he met Carol Gray, who would soon become his wife. He worked for nineteen years at the public utility company Narragansett Electric in Providence, RI. Feeling unfilled and with a growing desire to enter fulltime Christian service, both Wally and Carol packed up their growing family and headed to Jaffrey, NH to begin their new calling at Monadnock Bible Conference - a year-round camp/conference center. For ten years, Wally was the maintenance man and Carol worked in the kitchen. Besides maintaining the buildings/grounds, Wally loved to run the winter ski tow and enjoyed playing the organ at evening services. Then a move was made to Glen Cove Christian Academy (Rockland, ME); a private Christian high school where his children Stephen, Vickie, and Richard were able to attend. Wally was driven to afford his children the best he could provide. After they graduated, there was a short-lived move to work as custodian for one of the largest Baptist churches in Clearwater, Florida. This time in the sun afforded him the time to get his pilot license. Missing their family, they moved back to New England, settling down in Amherst, MA. When Carol passed away suddenly in 1994, Wally decided to officially retire and headed to Jacksonville, FL to live with his daughter and son-in-law. He’d had enough of the New England winters. It was not long after his move south that he met a wonderful woman, Jacquelyn, at church. They wed in July of 2007 - he was the happiest he’d been in some time! They shared some wonderful times over the years. They both loved working in the yard, travelling, cruising, and visiting family when they could.

Wally loved Rocky Point Shore Dinners, fish and chips, ice cream, and those orange squishy candy peanuts. He loved flying airplanes (both real and models), reading Popular Mechanics magazines, playfully teasing dogs/cats, playing the organ, singing and especially enjoyed his gardening. He was handy in helping those who were in need and kept himself occupied building clocks out of tree-trunk slabs and outdoor furniture from wood pallets.

Wally struggled in many ways and had his fair share of regrets, but he dearly loved his family, his church, and his Lord. He is now finally in perfect peace.

Well done, Dad, Grampie, Wally, Uncle Wally. We miss you and will take great comfort in our memories!

A memorial service is being planned for the fall of 2021 at Plainview Cemetery in North Leverett, MA. Details will be provided for those who request them. Wally will be laid to rest beside his best friend and lover Carol.

The family would like to thank the staff and residents of The Fountains at Mill Cove Assisted Living facility for the care and love they showered upon him.