John Paul Wallace, 68, passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his family, on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010. Born on July 31, 1941, to Paul Hoffman Wallace and Dorothy Tschannen Wallace, John was raised in Kingman, a small town in Northwest Arizona. Following graduation from the University of Arizona in Tucson with a degree in Public Administration, he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. He served as an air traffic control officer at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point and Iwakuni, Japan and rose to the rank of Captain of Marines. In 1968, John joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a Special Agent. His 26-year career with the FBI included assignments in Cleveland, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Washington DC and Quantico, Va. where he worked high-profile organized crime, kidnapping, and counter-espionage cases. He was highly respected by his peers and received commendations from Director J. Edgar Hoover for his exceptional accomplishments. His most rewarding tour was as the
Principle Instructor for the Washington Field Office where he was responsible for training FBI and other police agency personnel. John retired from the FBI in 1995 and worked for a short time developing new training facilities at the National Rifle Association Headquarters in Virginia. He and his wife retired and moved to Greenville in 1996 to be closer to family. John remained active in many organizations and provided services as a professional guide for military tours of WW I and II battle fields in Europe and the South Pacific. Among other
organizations, he was active in the Marine Corps Historical Company and local Marine Corps League.
John loved to travel, along with his wife of 43 years. He visited many foreign lands throughout Europe, the Pacific Rim, Australia and New Zealand. They enjoyed sightseeing and making new friends. John had an insatiable thirst for historical knowledge. He savored the aesthetic things in life and will always be remembered for his extraordinary sense of optimism, tenacity and perseverance in overcoming obstacles with a "can do" spirit. His battle with leukemia would have quickly defeated a man of lesser strength. His cheerfulness and positive attitude during his difficult illness was an inspiration to his family, friends and medical staff.

Memorial contributions may be made to;
Home Away From Home Program
c/o Marine Corps League
204 Maraschino Drive
Greenville, North Carolina
27858

Law Enforcement Foundation, Inc. 10
Rockefeller Plaza Suite 1007
New York, New York

A celebration of life memorial service for John will be held at the USMC Museum chapel at 11:00 Thursday, March 18, 2010