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ED WALLACE |
Funeral service information added below
Whether it was behind the scenes of the Bellefontaine High School football program or in his more public roles on the city parks board and chamber of commerce, Ed Wallace was known as a positive and steadfast local leader.
The 15-year leader of the Logan County Chamber of Commerce and 21-year member of the Bellefontaine Joint Recreation District board passed away Thursday at the age of 63.
Mr. Wallace was appointed to the parks board in January 1995 and was elected president of that board in July 2002, a position he held until his passing, Parks Superintendent Kris Myers said.
“I always enjoyed how Ed led with a calm and even-keeled demeanor. He was always looking for what was right in every situation,” Mr. Myers said. “Ed was a great friend, a mentor and a dedicated community member.”
Dennis Versele, a fellow parks board member, said he met Mr. Wallace many years ago through the Bellefontaine High School football program when Mr. Wallace was videotaping football games.
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Pastor Mike Valentine will officiate a memorial service at 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 15 at the First Christian Church, 215 E. Sandusky Ave., Bellefontaine. Visitation will be from 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 14 at Eichholtz Daring & Sanford Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 321 N. Main St., Bellefontaine. Funeral arrangements are in care of the Eichholtz Daring & Sanford Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Bellefontaine and condolences may be expressed to the family at www.edsfh.com. |
Their friendship grew over the years, but possibly one of the most inspiring moments he recalls was seeing him interact with late BHS football coach Greg Peitsmeyer as he also battled cancer in late 2014.
“I remember he was (mentoring) Greg Peitsmeyer when he became ill and one day (Ed) took him out to see the new stadium,” Mr. Versele said. “They sat up in the stadium and talked. When I saw them out there that day, I was able to sit down with those two and talk. It was a very rewarding experience.”
Mr. Versele and other parks board members also had a chance to take their president out for drinks after the June board meeting — the same day a 30-foot flag pole at Hoffman Municipal Pool was dedicated in his honor.
“He was laughing, cutting up and telling jokes — just his normal persona,” the friend said. “He masked his illness very well and we had a very good time.
“On the park board, he was very steadfast, always a person who had an opinion and a very positive one at that,” Mr. Versele said. “Even the difficult things we dealt with he remained positive — a good leader and guiding force we looked to for his thoughts on issues.”
Bill Patterson, former Bellefontaine City Schools educator and city council member, was a longtime friend of Mr. Wallace and took him to Columbus for many of his cancer treatments.
“Ed and I worked together at the fairgrounds in high school, and he has always enjoyed being around people,” Mr. Patterson said. “He loved helping people. If there was something he could do to help someone, he did it. Ed was just a really, really nice man. He loved this community and wanted to do his part to make it better.”
His fight against cancer was an inspiration to others, Mr. Patterson said.
“He was the most amazing cancer patient I have ever seen. He was always positive and upbeat. I saw him before treatments, during treatments and after treatments, and he never got down about his situation. He was an inspiration to me in my battle with cancer. If I started to feel bad for myself, I would think about Wally and everything he had to go through. He went through a heck of a lot more than I did, but he was always so positive.” …
Read complete story in Thursday’s Examiner.
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Examiner staff writers Reuben Mees, Joel E. Mast and Matt Hammond contributed to this story.