Robert F. Wallace ’41

THE CLASS lost Bob Wallace just three months after he had lost his wife Mary. Bob died on Nov. 19, 1989, in the Norwalk, Conn., hospital after putting up a great fight to survive the ordeals of several abdominal operations.

Common wisdom has it that college English majors can't make a living, but this certainly wasn't true for Bob Wallace. Following war duty as a naval officer, he worked as a senior writer for LIFE magazine, specializing in lead news articles and essays. In 1955 he published his first book—LIFE AND LIMB—a biography of the notorious tort lawyer Marvin Belli. Just one year later he received the prestigious O. Henry Award in recognition of his talent as a short story writer. In 1965 Bob went to work for TIME/LIFE Books, where he authored books too numerous to list here on a vast variety of subjects.

Bob is survived by a brother, Laird Wallace, of Stuart, Fla., a son, Robert G. Wallace, of Panama City, Fla., a daughter, Lynn Wallace Kerber, of Worthington, Ohio, a stepson, David G. Hunter, and a stepdaughter, Sarah Hunter, both of New Canaan, Conn., where Bob and Mary lived. We extend our sympathy to them and we grieve the passing of a loyal and talented classmate.

The Class of 1941