Wallace Roy Lale

Wallace R. Lale, resident of Shawnee, passed away on Wednesday, November 17, 2021 at the age of 89.

Wallace was born February 28, 1932 in Shawnee. He grew up on the farm his paternal grandfather had homesteaded in 1891. Both his mother's and father's families were Oklahoma pioneers; his maternal grandfather migrated to the Cherokee Nation in 1885.

"Wally" graduated from Shawnee High School in 1950. While in high school he lettered in track and field, was an honor student, vice-president of the National Honor Society, a junior Rotarian, and a member of the Hi-Y and 4H clubs.

After graduating from high school, he attended Oklahoma Baptist University for two years before transferring to Oklahoma A & M, graduating in 1954 with a Bachelor of Science degree. While at A & M he was on the Dean's and President's Honor Rolls and belonged to the national marketing society (Mu Kappa Tau).

Because of his academic standing, Wally was deferred from the draft to finish his degree. Immediately upon receiving his degree, he applied for and was accepted into the Aviation Cadets flying training program. After successful completion of that program, he received a commission as Second Lieutenant and was given his Air Force pilot wings in December 1955. His high standing in the class allowed him to choose the type of aircraft he wished to fly. He chose jet fighters and immediately began flying F86 jets that for two years held the world airspeed record.

Before his first assignment as an Air Force officer, Wally married Rachel Ann Canada - also of Shawnee - and they began their family while simultaneously beginning a career in the Air Force. His Air Force career began just seven years after the Air Force became a separate service, no longer known as the Army Air Corps.

In addition to being a jet fighter pilot, Wally served during the Cold War as an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Commander. Additionally, he served as a Logistics Officer, Contracting Officer and an AFROTC instructor at the University of Oklahoma. While serving as a missile officer in the 1960s, he earned an MBA from the University of Missouri. For five consecutive years he was rated as the top missile officer in the wing and evaluated all other missile crews. He earned 10 consecutive Highly Qualified ratings, the only crew member to do so in the history of the 351st Strategic Missile Wing.

Wally had three brothers: one served in the Army, one served in the Navy, and one served in the Marines. He was proud to have served in the Air Force and felt that he had repaid his country in full for his deferment from the draft while in college.

After retiring from the Air Force, Wally began a second career as a college professor. He did doctoral studies at the University of Oklahoma and was a professor at OU and Rose State College, retiring from that career in 1989. As a third career, he and his wife Rachel owned and operated Oklahoma Territory Antiques in Shawnee for many years, located in the building at 214 East Main that his great grandfather had built and owned prior to Oklahoma becoming a state. In 2004 Oklahoma Today magazine voted their shop as one of the best in Oklahoma.

Wally was a devoted animal lover. Over the years he adopted many animals including mustangs from the open range of Nevada, cats, dogs, ducks, geese, an emu that he named Big Bird, and others too numerous to mention.

After Rachel passed away in June 2014, Wally never expected to find love again, but at the urging of his housekeeper he arranged a date in August 2015 with another one of her clients, a widow named Mary White. From their first date they became inseparable companions, sharing many things in common. Wally and Mary married on July 1, 2017 in Mary's church, the First Baptist Church of Shawnee, to which Wally later transferred his membership. They enjoyed a memorable honeymoon cruise to Alaska, and Mary made his last years richer and happier.

Wally is survived by his wife, Mary White-Lale; his daughter, Debra Lale Butler Fogle and son-in-law Dale Fogle; his grandchildren, Autumn Casey, Spring Seals, and DJ Johnson; great-grandchildren, Thomas and Elise Casey; stepchildren, Brenda Terry, Brent McKinzie, Mark White, and Monta Setzer; numerous step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and by Wally and Mary's beloved 21-year-old cat, Spuds.

Wally was preceded in death by his parents, Newton Arrie Lale and Laura Sims Lale; his older siblings, Max S. Lale, Homer V. Lale, Laura Lou Davies, and Newton A. Lale Jr.; his son-in-law, Dan E. Butler; and his wife, Rachel.

A funeral ceremony will be held on Saturday, November 27, 2021 at 2:00 pm at the Walker Funeral Chapel. Following the ceremony, Wally will be laid to rest at Resthaven Memorial Park with military honors. Those wishing to pay their respects may do so at Walker Funeral & Cremation Service on Wednesday afternoon until 5:00 pm and on Friday, Nov. 26th from 8am-5pm.

Pallbearers will be: Brent McKinzie (Mary's son), DJ Johnson (grandson), Jacob Seals (granddaughter Spring's husband), Larry Davies (nephew), Newton Lale (nephew), and Phil Hatfield (Mary's brother-in-law).