Bruce found contentment and fulfillment in his family, work, community involvement, and faith. He believed that a solution could be found to any problem. A talented engineer, he was also a thoughtful and perceptive listener. He was valued for his optimism, his intelligence and his gift for imagining a creative path that would help others achieve their goals.
Bruce was born on August 27, 1930, to Gladys Weyforth Wallace and Dwight Gardner Wallace in Chicago, Illinois. His family moved to Oklahoma and New York before settling in New Jersey. Bruce graduated from Ridgewood High School in 1948, where he played on the golf team. He studied mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, graduating in 1952.
Soon after entering the workforce, Bruce met Nancy Upton (Ann Seaver Coolidge Upton) through a church singles and discussion group in New Jersey. Nancy was a spirited and independent thinker. They were kindred spirits who wanted to live according to their values and make the world a better place. They wed in 1954 and settled in Maryland while Bruce served as an engineer in the US Army. After leaving the Army, his work for the M.W.Kellogg Corporation caused frequent moves--to California, New Jersey, and France--before they settled their young family in White Plains, New York. In his three decades with that firm, Bruce designed oil refineries and contributed to a team that successfully redesigned ammonia production plants; Bruce was proud to put his engineering skills to work towards the ideals of the Green Revolution.
Bruce and Nancy remained in White Plains for over five decades, and that is where they raised their three children; David, Gail, and Lane. Bruce was an active and cheerful parent, happy to spend evenings and weekends with his family, sharing his enthusiasm for their company.
Bruce and Nancy put their faith into action through civic engagement. In their volunteer work for the PTA, the neighborhood association, and their church, they modeled the steady commitment that strengthens a community and fosters social change. They mentored youth, worked for racial justice, worked for fair housing laws and practices, and put energy into maintaining joyful and diverse spaces such as their neighborhood and church. When Nancy was tapped for leadership roles in the City and in the region (see her obituary in the New York Times at https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/01/nyregion/nancy-wallace-dead.html), Bruce supported her work not only by listening and helping to brainstorm solutions but also by participating in the numerous events she planned to clean up and celebrate the Bronx River.
In the eyes of his children, perhaps Bruce’s most outstanding example of living his values were several years in the 1970s that he dedicated to working for a minority-owned and operated pipe-bending company, Crippen Pipe Fabrication Corporation. Bruce’s long hours and financial sacrifices taught his children what commitment to racial justice entailed.
At the end of his engineering career, Bruce specialized in making heat transfer more efficient in various industrial settings, both in the United States and abroad. He formed a small and successful consulting firm with Neal Shanahan called Process Management Enterprises (PME); he particularly enjoyed putting his talents to use in China and India while taking Nancy to those distant lands.
Nancy and Bruce’s bond deepened over the years; they were equal partners in all their endeavors. In 2012 Bruce and Nancy moved to Nancy’s hometown of Marblehead, MA. Despite multiple health challenges, each was determined to care for the other until Nancy’s death on February 15 of this year; all who knew them share the hope that their spirits are now joyfully reunited.
Bruce was preceded in death by his sister, Louise Wallace Reynolds, and by his wife, Nancy Wallace. He is survived by his three children and their spouses; Dave Wallace (Jan Bass), Gail Wallace (Harry McDaniel), and Lane Wallace (Ed Cataldo) and by his three beloved grandchildren; Kern Wallace, Tyler McDaniel and Kinana McDaniel.
Bruce’s burial will be held at Waterside Cemetery at 11 am on Saturday, April 6th. A memorial service will be held immediately following, at noon on April 6th, at the Old North Church, 35 Washington Street, in Marblehead followed by a reception in the Old North Church Parish Hall immediately after the service. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at eustisandcornellfuneralhome.com for the Wallace family.
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