MARY WALLACE

WALLACE--Mary. Died at her home in New York City on September 1, 2012 after a long illness. She was born Mary Olberg in 1929 in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, to Grace and Archie Olberg, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stephens College (MO) and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin (Madison). Mary was a model and muse for Emilio Pucci, helping to launch his fashion business and bringing his designs to the attention of the U.S. market. She then went to work in Paris for Vogue Magazine. After returning to the U.S., she became involved in the early days of the television industry, working to book and prepare talent for the television program created by Tex McCreary and Jinx Falkenberg. There she met Frederick Langdon (Ted) Yates, whom she married in 1954. They resided in Washington, DC and had three sons. Mr. Yates was killed in 1967 while on assignment for NBC News during the Arab-Israeli Six Day War. After Mr. Yates's death, Ms. Wallace worked as an independent documentary filmmaker and, from 1974 to 1980, as Executive Producer of the CBS News program "Face the Nation." In 1986, Ms. Wallace married CBS News correspondent Mike Wallace, who had partnered with Ted Yates on television projects in the 1950's, including the early broadcast interview program, Night Beat. They maintained homes in New York City and Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. Mr. Wallace died in April of this year. She was serving on the advisory board of the International Mental Health Research Organization (IMHRO) at the time of her death. She was a co-founder of the Mike and Mary Wallace House, a journalistic fellowship center at the University of Michigan. In 1991 she was the first recipient of the national Family Achievement Award given by the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI). Ms. Wallace is survived by two of her sons, Eames Yates and Angus Yates, and their wives. Her third son, Frederick Jr. (Teddy), died in 1998. She is also survived by two stepchildren, Pauline Dora and Chris Wallace, 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to: Citymeals-on-Wheels, 355 Lexington Avenue, NY 10017 or to the Wallace House at the University of Michigan, 3003 South State St, Suite 9000, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.