Mary Guthrie provided the following memorial for Ed Wallace at last week's meeting:
Ed Wallace died last week, just a few days before his 86th birthday. His membership in the Rotary Club was deeply important to him, and the Cheyenne Rotary Club benefited greatly from his longtime involvement and active contributions.
A native of Colorado, Ed played basketball in high school and graduated from Colorado State University. He remained active in the CSU alumni club in Cheyenne and proudly wore the school’s green and gold colors. He was known to remind friends of his alma mater’s athletic success whenever the Rams triumphed over the Cowboys.
After college, Ed enlisted in the Air Force. He later moved to Cheyenne and began a long career working for Fowler’s, a family-owned, upscale department store. Later he worked for Burke Moving and Storage and the Wyoming National Guard, where he specialized in contracts and procurement. His attention to detail and expertise were highly valued by all of his employers. In retirement he served as a door man for the Wyoming legislature.
Ed served the Rotary Club in numerous ways. He was on the Board of Directors and a member of the Cheyenne Rotary Foundation Board. For several years, he was part of the sergeant-at-arms team that warmly welcomed members each week. He also took charge of the club directory, ensuring it was complete and up-to-date. Determined to include photos of every member, Ed personally visited those without photos with a photographer to ensure no one was missed. He was known for his reliability and for always getting the job done right.
Ed had a great sense of humor, was tenderhearted, and never spoke an unkind word about anyone. A friend observed that his friends valued deeply the kind of man he was and she felt lucky to be counted as a friend.
At her first meeting as president, President Beth honored Ed as Rotarian of the Week—a well-deserved recognition that Ed greatly appreciated.
Ed, thank you for your friendship and unwavering commitment to Rotary. You will be missed and warmly remembered.
Services for Ed will be at Weiderspahn Chapel October 9 at 2 pm.
