Mary Estelle Jamieson Wallace
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Mary Estelle Jamieson Wallace passed away on April 26, 2015.
Mary was born April 20, 1937, to Clark and Marion Jamieson of Wayne, MI. She was a valedictorian at Wayne Memorial High School in 1955. A 1959 graduate of The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA., she was managing editor of the weekly newspaper, The Flat Hat.
She earned a master’s degree in journalism at the University of Michigan in 1962. She married Victor L. Wallace June 23, that year in Ann Arbor. She was government and court reporter for The Ann Arbor News from 1962 to 1969.
After they moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina in 1969, where Vic joined the University of North Carolina faculty, she became the Orange County bureau chief for the Durham Herald and Sun newspapers, reporting on Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough until 1976.
In Lawrence, she began teaching news reporting in the KU School of Journalism in fall 1977, and became assistant to the dean, serving under 4 deans, beginning in 1980. She retired in summer 2008, after 31 years at KU.
In Lawrence, she was a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for a child in foster care for eight years, attended the Lawrence Police Department’s Citizens Academy, and since retirement has been volunteer archivist at the Watkins Community Museum of History.
The couple were members of Plymouth Congregational Church.
Mary and Victor have two sons, Robert of Emporia, KS and Andrew of Concord. NC; and two granddaughters, Abigail and Delaney in North Carolina. Mary’s brother Thomas Jamieson lives in Belleville, Michigan with his wife Ann.
There will be a celebration of Mary’s remarkable life of compassion and professionalism at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, May 23, 2015 at Warren-McElwain Mortuary in Lawrence KS. For more information go to warrenmcelwain.com.
Memorials may be made in Mary’s name to the Lawrence Humane Society, or Douglas County Visiting Nurses Association and Hospice and may be sent in care of the Mortuary.
Word came to the offices of the Kansas Scholastic Press Association this week of Mary’s passing. While I am new to the organization here at KU, Mary was a legend within our organization that serves high school journalists throughout Kansas. She helped to tabulate regional and state entries and winners in our annual contests in a time before the ease of computers. And she helped to proofread the prompts that act as the topic for student writing and photography. What important and detail-oriented work that is!
For her dedication, Mary was admitted to the KSPA Hall of Fame in 1997.
From the advisers, students and staff of KSPA: thanks to Mary and her family for a life of service to journalism students in Kansas.
Eric Thomas
KSPA executive director
Victor and family, I will miss Mary’s smile and friendliness when I volunteer at Watkins Museum. She will be missed and your family will be in my thoughts and prayers
Dear Vic: Mary was such a force for good in our community. My heart goes out to you, Tom and the boys at this trying time. You are in our thoughts. George L. Catt
Dear Vic and Family,
We are so sorry for your loss. Mary was such a dear Spider Lake friend, sharing books, movie recommendations, and historical insight. Summers will not be the same.
Dear Vic and Family,
Mary’s death is a sad event for all who knew her. I have known her since Fall 1961 when i came as a foreign student from Germany to the University of Michigan for a one year Fulbright. I was miserable and overwhelmed until Mary and her mother invited me to live with them. We spend our Graduate years together and I never forgot that Mary saved my life!. We have been friends for 54 years and I will miss her terribly. Anneliese
A good friend and teacher, Mary was a remarkable woman. I will miss her wit and wisdom.
Dear Vic-I hope you remember me, I worked at the Ann Arbor News with Mary and the two of you gave me a going-away party when I left for San Francisco in 1965. Mary had a rich life and I send my best to you and your sons. -Ginny Westover