Lawrence Dean "Larry" Wallace, Jr.

Lawrence (Larry) Dean Wallace, Jr., son of the late Lawrence Dean Wallace and Maxine Mary Wallace was born on March 23, 1951, in Indio, Calif., and passed away on Nov. 10, 2024. He and his wife Gretchen Wallace had been residents of Monticello since 2006.
Raised in the Mojave Desert in southern California in the 1950's, where date, Joshua, and citrus trees flourished, and venomous critters were regarded as objects of daring youthful games, Larry became a rambunctious, playful boy. He loved sports, roaming the desert, and exploring all aspects of nature, especially the many varieties of desert birds. He was independent minded and not particularly impressed with what school had to offer, which in his opinion, consisted of insufferable hours of sitting in a classroom wasting his precious time he could be outdoors or learning something that interested him. He became an avid reader, encouraged by one of his teachers, and over his lifetime read countless books on a wide variety of topics. Because his father was a San Bernardino County law enforcement officer, he was exposed to police work early in his life. As a result, he became a very astute and discerning judge of human behavior. He also became very familiar with criminal investigative techniques and procedures.
As a result of his childhood adventures and education, it is not surprising that Larry went on to devote over 42 years of his life to courageous and danger-prone public service to his community and his beloved America. He served in the United States Army, starting in 1968 for 4 years, working with NATO, transporting nuclear warheads throughout Europe. After his honorable discharge, he worked at Kaiser Steel while attending college, then he joined the San Bernardino Police Department where he worked for 4 years. He also worked for the City of Fontana for a period of time. With Jodi, his first wife, and 3 children, they departed for the State of Washington, where he served as a King County Sheriff's Deputy for 10 years. In 1993, he became employed by FEMA in Region 10, based out of Seattle. He worked for them as a Disaster Assistance employee for 18 years, in federally declared disasters in many states and U.S. territories and in a variety of positions. His disaster work included tornados, earthquakes, flooding, severe winter storms, tropical storms, and hurricanes. His service took him away from home for months at a time, such as when he was in charge of managing a Baton Rouge trailer site for nine months during the Katrina hurricane aftermath. In 1995, he married Gretchen, a loving and happy union, which lasted the rest of his life. They moved to Monticello in 2006.
Larry's love, devotion, and protection of his family and close friends were legendary to those who knew him. He was deeply involved in the raising of his children, and also showed keen interest in the development of his nieces, nephews, and grandchildren. The majority of his spare time was devoted to his family, including coaching their sports teams, running in 5 K's together, and participating in a variety of hobbies with them. He encouraged his children to pursue meaningful and productive careers. His son, Matt, served in the Navy and went on to become a highly successful electrician. Bronwyn served as a firefighter and EMS worker before going on to a law enforcement career, where she received several distinguished awards for her service. Jennifer started in the car sales business after high school and progressed to managerial positions due to excellent work ethic and determination. Larry also spent many hours with his stepchildren Tara and Justin, especially during their teenage years. He drove them to sports' practices, watched and cheered them on during basketball and soccer games, and included them in family vacations. In his later years, he actively participated in grandson Andrew's education, through home schooling and grand vacations throughout the United States.
Neither space nor decorum allow all of the stories be told here about Larry's character; suffice it to say that Gretchen lives today because of his selfless actions. During an RV road trip in 1997, in Orick, Calif., a sizable herd of elk charged her, causing her to fall into an abyss. The elk then started heading over the abyss to finish the job. Armed with only a horse lead rope, he instinctively charged the leader of the herd, which caused the entire herd to charge him. He took cover and directed her to safety.
Larry is survived by his mother, Maxine Wallace; his sister, Marsha (Gary); former wife, Jodi Helbock (Bob); children, Jennifer Anne Duffy (Patrick), Bronwyn Suzanne Wallace, Matthew Lawrence Wallace (Kim); stepchildren, Tara Chelly Kang (Billy) and Justin Ian Lumbley; grandchildren, Jordan Duffy, Corbin Duffy, Cole Wallace, Andrew Kang, Max Russell, Madison Wallace, McKinsey Wallace, and Benjamin Wallace; great grandchildren, Mayson Duffy, Zoe Duffy, Nolan Duffy, and Grady Duffy; and many loving nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his sister, Cindy Coogan (Jim) and his father, Lawrence Dean Wallace, Sr., He will be greatly missed by those who knew and loved him.
In honor of Larry, any remembrances may be made, for their unrestricted use, to the Jefferson County EMS and/or Jefferson County Sheriff's Department. In order to do so, the County requires that the donations be collected and delivered all at one time. Checks should be made out to Gretchen Wallace and received no later than Feb. 15, 2025. All funds gathered will be delivered to the County on Feb. 18, 2025. Receipts will be provided. Checks should be mailed to : Gretchen H. Wallace, 182 Tally Hills Dr., Monticello Fla. 32344
A memorial service will be held at 1:00 PM on Feb. 6, 2025 at Tallahassee National Cemetery, 5015 Apalachee Parkway, Tallahassee, Fla. 32311. A reception will follow the service at the Otto M. Walker American Legion Post 49, 1069 S. Water St., Monticello, Fla. 32344.