Mettie Jane Wallace

Mettie Wallace, mother, daughter, friend and teacher, passed away Wednesday, November 26 at Caton Merchant House in Manassas Virginia. “Miss Mettie,” as she was known at Manassas Baptist Church served as a deacon, greeter, teacher of ESOL, sang in the choir and pitched in with any number of programs, including Vacation Bible School and Music Camp, for 32 years. Born on September 20, 1937 in Manchester, North Carolina to the late Wesley and Kirby (Hughes) Wood, Mettie married Robert Gary Wallace, a career military man, and traveled the world with him. Mettie used this opportunity to meet people from other cultures. She had a heart for these people, and, with another teacher at the Baptist church, started an English as a Second Language (ESOL) program at the church with two students (Presently the program serves over 100 people). Bob and Mettie finally settled in Manassas, VA, where she served as a teacher’s aide at Stonewall Jackson High School where she worked from 1983 to 2002. Her co-workers at school and church remembered that she had a calming effect on students. Soft-spoken and kind, she had a razor-sharp mind and was perceptive and honest. Friends and co-workers remember her laughter that rang like a bell, and experienced the warm compassion for all kinds of people. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband. Survivors include one son: Stanley A. Wallace and wife Karen of Manassas, VA; four granddaughters: Samantha, Angela, Erica and Julianna Wallace all of Manassas, VA; two sisters: Peggy Stahl of Selingsgrove, PA and Madeline Stoudt of Fayetteville, N.C. and numerous nieces and nephews. The family will receive friends on Friday, December 5, 2014 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Pierce Funeral Home, 9609 Center Street, Manassas, VA. A second viewing will be held on Saturday, December 6, 2014 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM at Manassas Baptist Church, 8800 Sudley Road, Manassas, VA where services will begin at 4:00 PM with Dr. William Higgins officiating. She will be buried next to her husband Robert in Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. Expressions of sympathy may take the form of donations to: Manassas Baptist Church, c/o General Fund, 8800 Sudley Road, Manassas, VA 20110 or Alzheimer’s Association, 3701 Pender Drive, Suite 400, Fairfax, VA 22030 in loving memory of Mettie Wallace.

Mettie Jane Wallace

September 20, 1937 - November 26, 2014