Steven Neil Wallace of Fallon, Nev., passed away on Sept. 23, 2025. He was 79 years old.
Steve was born Dec. 16, 1945, in San Diego, Calif. to Art and Shirley Wallace, the eldest of two sons. After a few years in San Diego, the family chose to settle in Fresno, Calif. Steve earned a degree in communications from Fresno State University California before joining the Air Force, eventually rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Air National Guard.
In his civilian life, Steve made good use of his communications degree at the California Highway Patrol and then the California Department of Forestry. In 1991, eager to get away from city life, Steve traded a relatively short commute in Sacramento for a longer one from a kiwi farm up in Marysville. After retiring from the military and his state job, he and his wife, Valerie, moved to Fallon in 2003, where they have lived since.
Communications was a logical choice for Steve as his technical skills were matched by an undeniable gift of gab. He was so adept at small talk that there was a running joke about how even at the dentist, with a mouth full of instruments, he could still somehow manage to chat with the hygienist and get their life story.
As a shortwave radio hobbyist, Steve had a very impressive array of radios. He even built his own antennas to talk with people all around the world. He was an avid railroad enthusiast, enjoyed military history, and had a large collection of train, car, ship and plane models waiting to be built.
There was so much to love about Steve, and so much we’ll miss. We’ll miss his easy charm, his smarts and his smile. We will miss the joy we’d get when we could earn a genuine laugh. We will also miss his confident advice about cars, computers and home repair. Now, we’ll just have to figure it out on our own.
Steve was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Craig. He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Valerie; his children Sarah Wallace, Grant Wallace (Kim Blank Wallace) and Jill Wallace (Matt Satterthwaite); stepchildren Nissa Hallquist (Becky Barnhart) and Jessica Hallquist; and grandchildren Eleanor Wallace and Benjamin Hallquist.
A service to celebrate Steve’s life will be held Oct.18, 2025, at 10 a.m. at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, 850 W. 4th Street in Fallon.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Steve’s name to Churchill Animal Protection Society or the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
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