Francis X Wallace

Francis "Frank" Xavier Wallace, Jr. of Mission, TX and Altamont, NY died September 21st at Kingsway Arms in Schenectady, NY. Frank was born October 10, 1921 in Schenectady, the son of the late Francis X. Wallace, Sr. and Katherine (Marlette) Wallace Wood. Raised in Schenectady, he graduated from Nott Terrace High School but left New York to attend Clemson University (then, Clemson A & M College). He was attracted to its excellence in Engineering and because it was fully military and World War II had started in Europe. He began the G.E. Test Program while a student-cadet during summer leaves. Upon graduation from Clemson with a degree in mechanical engineering, he continued in the Test Program for several months until called to active duty in the U. S. Army. Frank served with the 101st Airborne Division, participating in the D-Day invasion, Battle of the Bulge, with side-trips to invade the South of France, Italy and the occupation of Germany. After the surrender of Germany, his unit returned to the U.S. to prepare for the invasion of Japan. Fortunate for him, he said, two Atomic bombs saved his life and that of hundreds of thousands of U. S. and Allied troops along with, he speculated, over a million Japanese civilians. Though a life-long Republican, he was always grateful to President Harry Truman. Upon his return to civilian life, he completed the G.E. Test Program and joined G.E.'s Turbine Electric Division in Schenectady. While employed by G.E. but on his own time, Frank attended Albany Law School on the G.I. Bill, graduating in September of 1949 as valedictorian of his class. He began his law career with the firm of Early & Kalteux in Schenectady but, in two years he was hired by Spencer & Iserman, a New York City law firm to serve as counsel to Webb & Knapp (a litigation and real estate firm). There, he led a team of attorneys in the largest U. S. real estate transaction of its time which involved the purchase of the Chrysler Buildings and Graybar Building. In 1954, Frank moved his family to Denver, Colorado to open a Webb & Knapp office and, as its vice president and counsel, was responsible for the financing, construction and leasing of the Mile High Center and Court House Square projects. In 1960, he left Webb & Knapp to become litigation partner in the firm of McNichols, Wallace, Nigro & Johnson which evolved into a succession of law firms in which he was always senior litigation partner. While in Colorado, he became very involved in the Colorado Easter Seal Society and was President of the society for some years. In 1970, Frank moved back to New York to become a Professor of Law at Albany Law School where he taught a number of law courses, including property, civil procedure, conflict of laws, trial tactics and negotiation. While a law professor, Frank found the time to work for the newly-formed NY State Dept. of Environmental Conservation as its first general counsel. He later served as consultant and outside trial counsel for the NY State Power Authority. In that capacity, he served as lead counsel in a 1973-1983 case involving the siting and construction of the 765 KV transmission line to carry hydroelectric power from Quebec province in Canada to Marcy, NY where it connected to power lines to N. Y. City and elsewhere in New York. While living in New York he was able to satisfy a life-long love by sailing Lake Champlain each summer for many years. After his retirement from Albany Law School in January of 1987 and his move to New Bern, NC, he returned to Albany each Fall semester through 1989 to teach civil procedure and negotiation. He loved teaching and his students and said it was an addiction he had to be weaned from. Only when his love of travel took precedence did he fully retire to a life on the road in a motor home, keeping his home in New Bern as his base. He and his wife, Joyce enjoyed hundreds of thousands of miles of travel in RVs, criss-crossing our country and into Canada. Still traveling, the couple changed their home-base to Mission, TX and built a summer home near Altamont, NY. With retirement, came time for the resumption of his long affair with amateur radio. Frank took up ham radio as a hobby while a teen-ager and this continued until his health intervened. Frank was a man of many interests, one of which was his love of people. He loved to talk to strangers, which is probably why radio interested him and why he ended life with so many wonderful friends. Frank is survived by his wife, Joyce (Pulliam) Wallace, three children, Francis "Pete" X. Wallace, III of Denver, Charles M. Wallace and wife, Bernadine of Marion, IN and Elizabeth and husband, David Worstell of Denver, and two step-sons, Ian T. Richards of Delmar, NY and Rhys M. Burmann of Seal Beach, CA. He is also survived by thirteen grandchildren, and by four great-grandchildren. His brother, William Marlette Wallace and his first wife, Mary (Leonard) Wallace, predeceased him. The family plans no visitation or funeral but a gathering of his family, friends, former students and colleagues to celebrate his life will be held at Albany Law School on Saturday, October 6th, 2012, at 2 p.m..