Howard Pelham Wallace

On November 8, 2024, the high court denied retired attorney Howard Pelham Wallace’s final motion to continue, and he expired peacefully. He was 94. Born September 10, 1930, at his parent’s home on Taylor Street, Griffin, Georgia, he was the second son of the late Stephen Bailey Wallace and Alberta Williamson Wallace. When he was six his family moved to Maple Drive, and he finished grammar school at Third Ward and then Griffin High School graduating Valedictorian in the class of 1948. He entered the University of Georgia as a Regent’s Scholar and on the way to an ABJ degree he joined everything in sight, including Phi Delta Theta, Phi Kappa Phi, ODK and Gridiron among others. He was a reporter and then columnist for the Red and Black student newspaper. His final year as an undergraduate was spent in his first year of law school and through ROTC, he was awarded his commission as Second Lieutenant, Armor. He graduated as an undergraduate in 1952 in the top 5% of his class He was immediately activated and sent first to the Armored School, Fort Knox, Ky., and upon completion then to the 1st Armored Division, Fort Hood, Texas. His military service began as an ExO of a replacement training company, then S2 of the 100th tank battalion and duty as permanent trial counsel, then officer in charge of the Post newspaper, the Armored Sentinel, and finally Post Information Officer. He remained in the Army reserves until 1966 before retiring with the rank of Major. Released from active duty he returned to law school where he joined Phi Delta Phi and was a student editor of the Georgia Bar Journal. After receiving his LLB degree he accepted an offer to attend graduate law school at Indiana University, Bloomington, and serve as house Counselor at the Indiana Alpha Chapter of Phi Delta Theta while awaiting the results of the State Bar Exam. At IU, a fraternity brother arranged a blind date with a Delta Gamma senior and from the moment he saw Micki coming down the stairs, it was love at first sight. They courted while Micki finished her BS degree and married at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church the afternoon of her graduation. The union was permanent and lasted for almost 60 years until her sudden death in 2016. Jobless and penniless they returned to Griffin after their honeymoon, and he began practicing law and raising a family. Howard practiced law with his father, then accepted an appointment as assistant attorney general, and then a return to private practice with his brother, the late Albert Bailey Wallace. He considered himself a trial lawyer and tried over 1500 cases, civil, criminal, domestic relations and condemnation, including many eminent domain cases to acquire the right of way for I-75 in Clayton County and the necessary land for the expansion of Hartsfield International Airport. He was an officer of all courts including the United States Supreme Court. He said, “Court reporters always know the best lawyers,” and he was proud that he represented every court reporter he ever worked with. Professionally he was a member of the board of governors of the State Bar of Georgia, a life member of the Georgia Bar Foundation, a member of the State Bar’s fee arbitration committee, a member of the Lawyers Club of Atlanta and a member of the Governor’s committee on judicial selection. Both he and his late wife were active in the civic life of Griffin. He felt his most rewarding civic involvement was his membership in the first bi-racial committee, formed during the turbulent sixties to reduce racial tension. He was a devoted Rotarian and during his term as president in 1992 fostered the admission of women for the first time for which he was soundly criticized. He worked closely with the Georgia Rotary Student Program and won the coveted Hunt Cup for best committee for the Rotary Club of Griffin three times. He was also a member and president of the Deck Club, former president of the Griffin Spalding Historical Society, a member of the McIntosh Trail Robert Burns Society, an original organizer of Spalamar and a member of the Society of Colonial Wars. In 1996, he was named General Griffin. His main hobby, aside from Georgia football and ancestry, was little theater where he acted and directed for more than 60 years. He Emceed many awards banquets and roasts and was a frequent eulogist. Baptized a Presbyterian he joined the Episcopal Church when his first child was born and was an active and faithful member of St. George’s in Griffin for more than 60 years. Until her death in 2016 he and Micki traveled extensively on worldwide cruises, visits to Europe and Asia, house parties at the Shapard chateau in France, “Sport Island Eight” excursions and annual family vacations to Ormond Beach, Fla. Howard is survived by his children, Col. Elizabeth W. Fleming, a retired attorney in Kodiak, Alaska; Stephen Williamson Wallace and his wife Laura Beckham Wallace and their children, Laura Emily Wallace and Stephen Williamson Wallace Jr. (Will), Will’s wife Dr. Lauren Washburn Wallace and their son Stephen Williamson Wallace III (Tripp); Janice Marie Wallace, an attorney with Beck, Owen & Murray in Griffin, and Dr. Ann Howard Wallace, a professor at James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va. The family would like to thank Howard’s long-time caregiver Mary Lamar for allowing him to stay home where he wanted to be and the staff at Eternal Hope Hospice for making the end of his life restful. He was fiercely proud of being a Double Dog and lifelong Democrat. A funeral service will be held at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Griffin, Georgia on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 2:00PM. Burial will follow in Oak Hill Cemetery. The family will visit with friends following the service at the residence. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in his memory to the Griffin Area Resource Center building fund (https://www.griffinarc.org/getinvolved).