George Sylvester Wallace III

George S. Wallace III died on Monday July 14th, 2025, in the loving arms of his wife. He was 83. George was born February 13, 1942, in Brooklyn, NY, the first of eight children born to Mary Donahue Wallace and George S. Wallace Jr. George III spent his preteen years on his parents’ farm in South Bend, IN, where he and his brother Mark appeared on local television with their Blue-Ribbon Black Angus steers. The family relocated to Griggstown, NJ, in 1956. George attended Princeton High School, often wearing his favorite black leather jacket, collar up. In 1957 his family moved into an antebellum house in Morristown, NJ, where he attended Bayley Ellard HS. In his junior year, George played on the Vikings championship football team at Central Catholic HS In Allentown, PA. He finished his final secondary school year at Blair Academy in Blairstown, NJ, and went on to earn a BA at Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA.

Post college, he worked at the Morning Call in Allentown, PA, quickly rising from the high school sports beat to a column of his own. In less than a year, he applied for and was accepted by the renowned Iowa Writers’ Workshop. After completing all requirements except a final thesis, George walked away from graduation. When asked why he left, he said that to become a writer required digging deep to exploit memories and people that he loved, something he was unwilling to do.

Instead, George seized wholeheartedly the wonder of meeting and celebrating people in all parts of the country. He married Sarah James in Iowa City before moving with son Mark to Mallow Farm nestled in the saddle of Spruce Knob, West Virginia. There, he learned how to raise sheep, pigs, dogs, cats, and children, including second son, Liam. He cherished his neighbors for their wisdom, their humor, and their overflowing generosity. George also pursued bigger goals by starting a construction business with like-minded friends that would pay fair wages to local workers.

They eventually moved to Washington, DC, affording wider horizons to his family—now grown to include daughter Caitlin. He indulged his love of sailing on the Chesapeake Bay, a “hobby” initiated by George’s father, George, Jr. In later years his sons had the opportunity to work with George in New Mexico, a part of the country he truly loved; but he shared his deepest devotion of sports with his daughter Caitlin, following all teams Boston and DC.

Economics steered George to work as a construction foreman and in government agencies. He was awarded the Al Gore Hammer Award for Reinventing Government. His dear friend Ray Schandelmeier presented George with the team photo with George’s head super imposed on all the team members. He was proud of his work in desert and woodland camouflage and often said his ultimate purpose was to keep our soldiers safe. He did stellar work, but more important to him, he found entirely new groups of people that gave him great joy and friends for life. He retired from Radian, Inc. and PD Systems, Inc. after 31 years.

He was a true Irish poet; he occasionally wrote stories, but more importantly he would hold audiences rapt in his oral unwinding of stories like songs. After retiring, he lived in Mechanicsville, VA, with his wife Toni, the love of his life and nearby family members Leslie, Derek and their son William. Papa George and William had many adventures from beach vacations to Spring Training. One of their favorite excursions was going for a drive and getting home by making only right turns. George remained a kid at heart. He and Toni loved to visit their respective ancestral homelands - Ireland and Italy and every year hosted the William Arthur Wallace Crabfeast with George displaying the state and often country flags of the guests.

George was predeceased by his mother Mary and father George Jr., his brother Mark, sister Mary and brother Patrick.

He is survived by his wife Antoinette Wallace. His children Mark Wallace (Kelley), Liam Wallace, Caitlin Wallace and their mother Sarah. He is survived by his grandson William Mueller, brother Dan Wallace (Ivey), sisters Anne Wallace-DiGarbo (Joe), Lucie Wallace Brown (Bob), and Ellen Wallace. Nieces and nephews Mary, Andy (Tenille), Dan (Bobbi), Colin, Mara (Kane), Molly (Charlie) and Conor (Molly). He will be deeply missed. George leaves only love and beauty in his wake.

In remembrance of George, please join us for a memorial service in his honor at Woody Funeral Home -Atlee Chapel 9271 Shady Grove Rd Mechanicsville Va 23116 on Saturday February 14, 2026. A visitation will be held from 12-12:45pm and a service to follow at 1:00pm. the service will be live streamed at https://www.memoriesvideography.com/funerals/george-sylvester-wallace-iii/

"May you sense around you the secret Elsewhere, where the presences that have left you dwell. May you be generous in your embrace of loss. May the sore well of grief turn into a seamless flow of Presence: To Bless the Space Between Us. A book of Blessings by John O’Donohue.