William James Wallis

Bill was born in 1936 in Muncy, Pennsylvania. He was married in 1959 to Joan Heilman Wallis (a high school classmate). The couple have two married children, Kristin Wallis-Thomas (husband, Bruce) and Garth William Wallis (wife, Andrea); and three grandchildren, Hannah Thomas Prall (husband, Matthew), Matthew Wallis Thomas, and Joshua Andrew Wallis (wife, Allison); and great-grandchildren, James and Mackenzie.

He achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, received the Order of the Arrow award and attended the first international Boy Scout Jamboree at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania while in high school. He received the Sprout Waldren Financial Scholarship award his senior year.

Bill graduated from The Pennsylvania State University in 1959 with a BS in Industrial Arts. He was a member of the varsity "S" Club as senior manager of the Penn State baseball team and a member of Phi Delta Theta social fraternity. He was enrolled in Air Force ROTC and received a Commission as a Second Lieutenant upon graduation. He received Master of Education Degree in 1970 from PSU while assigned to the university staff as an AFROTC instructor.

Bill's Air Force assignments include; Mediterranean Communications Region, Wheelus Air Base in Tripoli, Libya; SW Comm Region, Randolph AFB, Texas; Western Comm Region, Hamilton AFB, California; Udorn Thailand; Penn State University AF ROTC, State College, Pennsylvania; HQ AFR OTC, Maxwell AFB, Alabama; ARMISH MAAG, Tehran, Iran; Nellis AFB, Nevada; and TAC Comm Div. Langley AFB, Virginia. He retired in 1984 as a Lieutenant Colonel with 25 years’ service.

He received the following decorations: Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, AF Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, AF Outstanding Unit Award with Valor device plus two oak leaf clusters, AF Organizational Excellence Award, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with two devices, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with device, and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

He joined Newport News Shipbuilding in 1985 as a Senior Logistic Technician, in the department of Life Cycle Engineering where he was involved with training and system manuals for aircraft carriers and submarines. This included interactive training on the latest SEAWOLF class submarine.

Bill was baptized as an infant in the First Methodist Church, Muncy, Pennsylvania. He served on volunteer staff for the Lighthouse in Montgomery, Alabama, a counseling service for disturbed youth. He served on church councils in congregations in Montgomery, Alabama; Las Vegas, Nevada; Hampton, Virginia; and was a charter member and organizer of St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Teheran, Iran. He was a member of King of Glory Lutheran Church, Williamsburg, Virginia. He is also a member of the James City County Rotary Club and named a Paul Harris Fellow and recognized as a Benefactor.

A service will be held at 1:00 PM on Thursday, September 3, 2026 at King of Glory Lutheran Church, 4897 Longhill Rd, Williamsburg, VA 23188.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Bill’s name to King of Glory Lutheran Church (https://www.kogva.org/) or Rotary Club of James City County (https://www.jccrotary.org/).