Wallace Eugene Stanley

Wallace Eugene Stanley, 90, of Ridgeland, died peacefully on Thursday, March 13th, at Beaufort Memorial Hospital after a brief but rapid decline in his health. He was predeceased by both his parents and his brother, John Harold Stanley.

Wallace was born October 13, 1934, at the old Ridgeland Hospital on Green Street, the first son of Juanita Smith Stanley and Gettis Eugene Stanley, of the Grays community in northern Jasper County. He grew to adulthood in Grays, enjoying a rural upbringing that included not only hard work but countless hours of enjoyment either swimming in the creek, hunting in the fields and forests, or, his personal favorite, pond fishing. In all of these activities he was accompanied not only by his younger brother, but by many other lifelong friends, several of whom were also cousins.

Wallace graduated from Grays High School in 1953 and immediately began two concurrent long-term careers, one with the South Carolina Department of Transportation (then known as the SC Highway Department), and also enlisting in the South Carolina National Guard.

The late 1950s proved to be a very important time in Wallace's life. His innate sense of duty and his inherent desire to serve his fellow man led him to stop one day on the road to Beaufort to help a young woman change her flat tire. From that serendipidous flat tire arose a nearly sixty-five year marriage (in October 1960) to Jane Glasser Stanley and ultimately to their two boys, Eugene (1961) and William (1977), both of whom Wallace loved dearly and had unwavering pride in.

Although Wallace was baptized and grew up as a member of the Beaver Dam Baptist Church in Grays, he and Jane soon joined St. Pauls United Methodist Church (now St. Pauls Methodist Church) in Ridgeland, where he served in many capacities, both official and unofficial, over the course of several decades. His dedicated service to the church lasted until the sudden onset of deafness made it too difficult for him to continue in those roles.

Over the years, Wallace's family grew to include his beloved daughter-in-law, Janet Potter Stanley (Eugene, 1994), and his two cherished grandchildren, Adam Christopher Stanley in 1998 and Hannah Stanley Ervin (Chase) in 2001. Wallace was blessed with many neices and nephews throughout both South Carolina and North Carolina, all of whom dearly loved their "Uncle Wally."

His tenure with the SCDOT continued over forty years until his retirement in 1994 as the Resident Maintenance Engineer for Jasper County, and he served honorably in the SC National Guard for 28 years, retiring as a 1st Sergeant, following that service with several additional years in the SC State Guard, where he achieved the rank of Captain.

Following his retirment in 1994, Wallace and Jane's favorite pasttime quickly became taking daily car rides all over the Lowcountry, throughout Beaufort, Hampton and Colletion Counties, and often further, frequently venturing into rural Georgia. When he wasn't riding the roads with Jane, Wallace could usually be found pond fishing with one of his many fishing buddies from either the church or one of his longtime friends from childhood.

As he grew older, Wallace's health and physical abilities began to slowly decline, but he could always be counted on to remain positive, consistently assuring his loved ones that he "feels pretty good!" His near-total sudden-onset deafness became a significant challege during the last four years of his life, but through modern auditory technology, that challenge was ultimately reduced to a more manageable inconvenience.

As Wallace departed this earthly realm on March 13th, he left behind many loving family members and friends, all saddened by their loss, but happy in the comfort of knowing that he is at peace, having enjoyed a long life, well lived, and always well loved.

He was survived by his wife, Jane, his sons, Eugene (Janet) and William, his grandchildren, Adam and Hannah (Chase), and all his neices and nephews: Allen, Ann (Shaun), Cecilia, Frederick, Julie, Kelly (Cliff), Lynn (Jackie), Nell (Bo), Robert (Patricia), Sarah (Louis) and Scott (Kimberly).

Wallace's long-term associations with both St. Pauls Methodist Church and the SCDOT resulted in countless friendships too numerous to name, but special recognition must be given to his longtime SCDOT buddy, Frank Glover (Kathy) of Beaufort.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. Pauls Methodist Church Building Fund, PO Box 550, Ridgeland, SC 29936.