Stanley Rudolph Wallace
My Name is Stanley Rudolph Wallace, born June 18, 1950. I am the eighth child born to the union of Margaret & Glen Wallace. For my elementary school years I attended Judson S. Hill School in Morristown, Tennessee. For my 7th, 8th and 9th grade schooling I attended the old West High. My senior high school years (1965-1968), I attended and graduated from Morristown High School. Like a few of my brothers and sister, I also attended Morristown College. I was a member of the Basketball team. I received my Associate of Arts (AA) Degree in June 1970.
I am a Trail Blazer of sorts in that I was one of the first blacks in Morristown to join the Boys Club. Additionally, I was also one of the first blacks to attend the segregated Morristown High School in 1965. I was a member of the B-Team and eventually the Varsity Basketball Team. It wasn’t easy in most cases being one or two blacks in a classroom, but as faith has it, we made it through and possibly made it better for those that followed.
As I look back on my years growing up in Morristown it wasn’t a bad experience because I was a child that was involved in activities like the Boy Scouts, Youth Sports, Boys Club, Church and Family. I strongly believe that by me being active and involved in the activities available in the community, those were things that keep me grounded and out of trouble. During my early teen years, I look back and recall that I worked for many business establishments in downtown Morristown. I worked for R.M. Rogers Men Clothing, Clifton Jewelry, Carlyle Music Company, Western Auto, Blazier Barber Shop (Shoe Shine), Bob & Bills Barber Shop (Formerly Walkers Barber Shop), Rippetoe Real Estate and the Little Dutch Restaurant. Yes these were menial task type jobs, but the point being is that when your parents are making just enough to make ends meet, if you wanted extra money or spending change you had to go for it, as you can see that is what I did.
In December of 1970 I joined the United States Air Force. Possibly one of the best decisions that I made in my life. During my 24 year Air Force career, I served as an Information Management Specialist. During my Air Force career the education, experiences and exposure to life and the world were many. I had the opportunity to travel the world. I traveled abroad to Japan, Korea, Okinawa, Taiwan Taipei China, Virgin Islands and Canada. In addition I traveled to almost every Major City and State in the United States. I retired from the Air Force December 1, 1994.
After my retirement from the Air Force, I was fortunate to work for the Federal Government at the Department of Veteran Affairs for 18 years. I worked as a Program/Management Analyst, with direct duties and oversight for the VA Nation-Wide Purchase Card Program. I retired from the VA in June of 2012. My total Government service to my country to include the Air Force was 42 years.
Now I would like to introduce you to my family. My wife Claudia and I currently reside in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. We are currently living the empty nest life.
In 1973 I married Noriko Okamori, with this union we had one son, Jeffrey Danell Wallace. We were married for eight (8) years. In December 1982 I met my current wife and the Love of my life Claudia Jean (Wins) Strozier. After a year of dating we got married in November 1983. To date we have been married for 32 years and counting. . My wife Claudia worked in the Federal Government for over 37 years. She worked for numerous agencies throughout her career to include working at the Pentagon for the Secretary of the Army. Prior to our marriage, Claudia had two sons Parrish (Deceased) and Myron Strozier. My Step-son Parrish (Tammi) Strozier, was raised in Atlanta, Georgia but spent his working years in DC and Maryland area. He attended Albany State University in Georgia. Parrish worked over twenty years for the Government at the US Printing Office. My Step-Son Myron (Margaret) Strozier was also raised and currently lives in Atlanta. Myron received his Bachelor’s Degree from Mercer University in Atlanta. With this union we are blessed with two grandchildren Myia and Mashaud. My son Jeffrey was raised in Atlanta, but has spent the majority of his adult life in the DC and Maryland area. Jeffrey attended Valdosta State University and served in the U.S. Navy. He is currently pursuing his Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work with a concentration in Substance Abuse Counselling at the University of District of Columbia (UDC/HBCU), He is currently engaged to Rita Perry. Our fourth son Kirkland Ryne Wallace (Celeste), born August 20, 1984 in Atlanta. Kirkland and his wife reside in the Maryland/DC area, they are proud graduates of Howard University in DC. He currently works for the Department of Veterans Affairs as a Program/Management Analysis. In January 2014, we were blessed with our third grandchild, precious Michael Quinn Wallace. Michael enjoys visiting with his grandparents, where he is the boss. He has taken the liberty to rename his grandparents, Michael calls me “Be-Bop” and Claudia “Me-Ma”.
Claudia and I are enjoying our retirement. We are very blessed in that we are able to enjoy our children and grandchildren. We have a few Business interest that are keeping us busy. We both like to travel, dine-out, and socialize with our friends. We are members of the First Baptist Church of Glenarden, in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.