William (Willie) Lynwood Wallace was born on October 5, 1945, to Willie Lenwood Wallace and Elvira
Wallace (Nash) in Richmond, Virginia. He moved with his mom to Opelousas, Louisiana, where his sister
Rose Mary “Patsy” Leday was born in 1947, and then he and his family moved to Houston, Texas, in 1949
His sister Doris Jean Goodman (Wallace) was born.
He graduated from E.E. Worthing High School in 1964. He joined the Air Force and was stationed at Luke
Air Force Base in Phoenix, Arizona and that’s where he met Kathryn Louise Wallace (Purvis), and they
married in 1967 and had his only son, William Len Wallace born in 1968.
In 1976, Kathryn and little William moved to Houston, Texas to reunite with Big William. After a few
years, the marriage deteriorated and they divorced in 1980.
William held different jobs throughout his working life, but spent the majority of them as a Taxi Driver
with Yellow Cab, even owning his own taxi. He would go back and forth between his childhood city,
Houston, Texas, and his adopted city, Phoenix, Arizona. He last moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 2002 and
lived in that area until his passing.
William leaves to mourn, his son William “Will” Len Wallace, daughter-in-law Tashemia Wallace,
grandson Drake Wallace of Houston, Texas, sister Rosemary Leday of Shreveport, Louisiana, niece
Antoinette Danesa “Niecy” Lars (Synegal) of Shreveport, Louisiana, and nephew Gamaliel Leday of
Shreveport, Louisiana. He was preceded in death by his mother Elvira Wallace (1994), his father Willie
Wallace (1983) and his sister Doris Jean Wallace (1995).
William requested that his body be donated to Research for Life and then cremated.
In lieu of flowers or cards, please make a Donation to Prairie View A&M University Athletics Department
in William Wallace’s memory.
