Ronald Gary Wallace

Ronald Gary Wallace was born July 22, 1945, in Santa Barbara, California to James Newton Wallace and Lois Darlene Hendrickson. His three younger brothers are John Lynn Wallace (Carolyn) of Vancouver, Washington; the late William Scott Wallace (Debbie); and Kenneth James Wallace (Diane) of Cleveland, Tennessee.

Gary lived in Santa Barbara until he was 11 years old. The family made the big move to the Salinas, California area in 1956., His father started the Wallace Memorial monument business in Salinas, which is still there today. After high school, he attended Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah for one year before he left to serve a full time mission. He served for two years in the Franco, Belgium mission, which was French speaking. After his mission, Gary graduated from BYU in Business Management. The banking options for employment at that time required moving every year or two, and we did not want that for our family, so he returned to Wallace Memorial.

Gary was sealed to Teresa Lynn Collier in the Oakland, California Temple on June 20, 1969. On their first year anniversary in 1970, he received his draft notice to report in one month on his birthday. He served as an E-4 Specialist in the United States Army in the Saigon area army base for 14 months, after six months of Advanced Military Training. He served in the Military Police central office as a clerk. Gary came home to his two daughters and began civilian life.

Gary and Teresa have 8 children and 16 grandchildren.

Children:
Lisa Michelle Pierce (Bryan)
Lori Jean Wallace
Ronald Gary Wallace Jr. (Sherry)
Spencer William Wallace
Julie Anna Gage (Joseph)
Samuel Benjamen Wallace (Melinda)
John Timothy Wallace (Shannon)
Bryan James Wallace

Gary's profession was with his family's monument manufacturing business of four generations. He also had a cultured marble business for a few years. Gary has made thousands of monuments and headstones, servicing the area from Half Moon Bay to Paso Robles, California. He retired at the age of 71 to Hyrum, Utah.

Gary's interests and hobbies included baseball as a young married father in the Salinas City Baseball League. He also enjoyed music, recording, camping, gardening, freeze-drying, mechanics, his tractor and riding lawnmower, and trimming his many fruit trees.

Gary lived a lifetime of membership and service in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He always accepted callings. He learned much and served as ward clerks, in bishoprics, stake high councils, Boy Scout Master, gospel doctrine teacher, Stake Seventies Quorum President in the Monterey Bay and Morgan Hill, California Stakes, and ward mission leader for 10 years (working with 72 young missionaries assigned to the Salinas, California Ward over those years of fun service). The last year and a half of his life, Gary and his wife served as service missionaries for the Adaptive Needs Seminary at the Ridgeline High School Seminary building. He will be remembered as "The Satellite Man," setting up audio/visual for the Salinas Ward for every General Conference, Stake Relief Society, or Young Men/Young Women conferences for several decades, recording everything on video cassettes for the ward library. He volunteered and loved it.

Gary's greatest joy has been his children and grandchildren and the many gatherings and traditions over the years. He loved family scripture time, Family Home Evenings, camping trips, and the hours, days, and years working at the family business with family around him.

Gary passed on Sunday, April 19, 2026, after watching sacrament meeting on Zoom and listening to "Come Follow Up" on BYU TV.

Gary will be greatly missed -- Heaven is richer and Earth poorer at his passing.

A funeral service for Gary will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at 2:00 pm, at the Hyrum 15th Ward meeting house, 455 East 100 South, Hyrum, Utah. A viewing will be held prior to the service from 12:30 to 1:30 pm at the church. An additional viewing will be held on Friday, April 24, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Hyrum 15th Ward meeting house, 455 East 100 South, Hyrum, Utah. The internment will be at Hyrum City Cemetery.