Willard ”Wayne” Wallace, 85, of Greenville died on February 29, 2024 after a brief but valiant battle with pancreatic cancer. Christian faith was a strong part of his life; he committed himself to his Lord and Savior at age 6.
Wayne was born December 7, 1938, in Hunt County to Woodrow ”Woody” Wilson Wallace and Anna ”Kathleen” Brown Wallace in Greenville, TX. Wayne began working at the early age of 9 delivering groceries in Greenville on his bicycle. Following graduation from Greenville High School, Wayne worked his way up from the ground floor at Henson Kickernick eventually becoming President of the company. Wayne attended East Texas State College, earning both a bachelor’s degree and an MBA. Following his career with Henson Kickernick, Wayne worked for the Sara Lee Corporation as a manager of manufacturing systems in several locations in North and Central America.
Wayne married Lil Bustamonte Wallace in 2002. Wayne had three beloved children with his first marriage to Carolyn Henson Norman. Wayne is predeceased by his parents, his brother Don, and his daughter Debbie Wallace Cleveland. He is survived by his wife, his daughter Melinda Wallace (husband John Slaughter), and son Rodney Wallace. Wayne was a loving grandfather who will be greatly missed by his grandchildren Courtney Cleveland, Allison Cleveland, Ross Cleveland, Matthew Marcellin, Austin Wayne Slaughter, Jacob Slaughter, and six great-grandchildren.
Services are pending; in lieu of flowers, Wayne’s friends and family are encouraged to plant a tree or make a donation in his honor to the Texas A&M Forest Service TreeCovery Program (http://treecovery.tamu.edu/donate.html). In whatever way you decide to honor him, please take a moment, listen to a Hank Williams song, and remember Wayne’s love of life and of telling a good story.
