George Elmer Wallace

George E. Wallace died in Lake Oswego, Ore., on July 29, 2024, at the age of 101. George was born April 17, 1923, to George B. and Irlene Reynolds Wallace in College Place, WA. George led a life full of adventure and rich experiences.

George's family moved to Portland when he was a young child, and he attended Fernwood Grammar School. After graduating from Grant High School, George attended Oregon State University until he enlisted in the U.S. Army and fought in World War II. During the war, he was captured at the Battle of the Bulge and held at the notorious Stalag IV-B Mulberg prison camp in Germany, where he was wounded. He qualified for a Purple Heart Medal because of his permanent injury but refused it; he said others had been wounded more seriously than he. After George was liberated from prison camp on April 23, 1945, he returned home, graduated from OSU and married another Grant High alum, Janis Marie Petersen.

George began his career owning automobile dealerships in partnership with his father at Wallace Studebaker, and they later opened Wallace Buick on Sandy Blvd., where George worked until his retirement at age 57. A replica of the Wallace Buick showroom is included in the "America on the Move" exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. George was active in the Hollywood District Lions Club and Oregon Automobile Dealers Association; he served as president for both.

George's first priority was always his family, and his interests were vast and varied: He owned and flew private planes, and he often flew his planes with Janis and their children in tow throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico, instilling his love of adventure in them. Besides flying, George enjoyed skiing, golfing, tennis, camping and fishing. He was a member of various clubs including the Aero Club, Portland Golf Club, Multnomah Club, Racquet Club, The Arlington Club, Mountain Park Racquet Club, Buick Twenty Club, Columbia Aviation Association, and the QB'S (Quiet Birdmen). In 1966 he moved his family from Portland to Lake Oswego. In 1985, he and Janis moved back to Portland, to a home on the Willamette River, where he could dock his float plane. He continued flying until he was in his 80s.

In addition to his many interests, George and Janis owned a cattle ranch in Izee, OR. The entire family spent many years vacationing there, riding horses, participating in long cattle drives, hunting and enjoying the outdoors. After he retired he and Janis spent winters at their condo in Manzanillo, Mexico, and later at their house in Borrego Springs, Calif.

Friends and family knew George to be a very sharp and intelligent man. He was a person with many interests and was highly disciplined. He always voted Republican, always drove American-made Buicks and always drank his Chivas Regal with a splash.

George is survived by his wife of 75 years, Janis, and their four children: Karen Bartelt (Jeff), Sally Jo Beesley (Jerome), Daniel Wallace (Katherine), and Richard Wallace. He was preceded in death by adored grandson Randy Sorenson and survived by 10 beloved grandchildren

A funeral service for George will be held Wednesday, August 7, 2024 from 1:00 PM to 1:45 PM at Finley Sunset Hills Mortuary, 6801 SW SUNSET HWY, PORTLAND, OR 97225, followed by a graveside service from 2:00 PM to 2:30 PM.