Gerald Omer Wallace

Gerry was born December 10,1943 in Clinton, Missouri, and grew up on a small farm 10 miles from town. He attended eight years of grade school at a one-room schoolhouse at Hortense, not far from the family farm. The four years of high school were at Clinton High School. He completed his college training at Central Missouri State at Warrensburg, Missouri, graduating in 1966 with a BSBA degree, majoring in Accounting.

Concurrent with his college graduation, Gerry married Carolyn Flippin, also of Clinton, Mo. They established their first home in Kansas City, Missouri, where Gerry had accepted a position as an auditor with Arthur Young & Co. The travel associated with auditing was not compatible with beginning a new marriage, so he moved into a private accounting job with the Kansas City Division of PACCAR. The next 30+ years were dedicated to accounting/finance leadership roles at several PACCAR locations including Dart Truck Company, Peterbilt Motors, and Kenworth Truck Co. Toward the end of his career, Gerry moved from the truck manufacturing industry to aircraft parts manufacturing, and was the V.P. of Finance for a couple of Seattle aircraft parts manufacturers - a couple of years with Evergreen Industries, and the final 11 years with International Airparts Corp. In his final role as V.P.-Finance he also served as Corporate Secretary and Treasurer. He became a part-owner in IAP which the owners divested in 1999. This event ushered in the Retirement Years, which became quite busy. Gerry kept up with three tenants and managed their rental properties. He also taught an adult Bible class each Sunday.

At the age of 12, Gerry gave control of his life to the Lord Jesus at a Fall Revival Meeting in a one-room Baptist Church a few miles from the Wallace home. Growing up a teenager in the 1950's wasn't quite what it is today, but there were still plenty of pitfalls along the way, and looking back, Gerry could clearly see the Hand of the Almighty guided him through those turbulent years- more specifically in two major events mentioned above - his choice of his life-mate, (they've been together over 58 years), and the decision to obtain a college degree. Both were life-changing decisions.

At the age of 26, Gerry was ordained a deacon at Bluegrass Baptist Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and soon thereafter was elected chairman of the Deacon Board of that church. Gerry served in the capacity of "deacon" in the churches that he and his wife called "home" as they moved their family across the country. He also taught Bible in all these churches and continued at CrossPointe Church in Bothell. Gerry stated, "The responsibility of leading Sunday School classes has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life." "I have experienced unprecedented spiritual growth."

Gerry is survived by his ever-loving wife of 58 years, Carolyn, son Bryce Wallace and wife Robin, grandchildren Bennett and Levi; daughter Blythe and husband Rafael, grandchildren Mila, Judah, and Susana. He leaves behind two sisters, one brother-in-law, one niece and one nephew.