Travis Jester Wallace, 46, passed away at home on December 15, 2019 with his family by his side. After a courageous fight with cancer, he is now free from pain and enjoying time in heaven with his dad and beloved lab, Vegas. Travis was born on October 16, 1973 and grew up in Poquoson, VA. He attended Poquoson High School where he played baseball and was famously known as “Moon Man”.
After graduating from Christopher Newport University, Travis moved with friends to the Outer Banks of NC, which he considered a turning point in his life. He enjoyed working at the Village Beach Club, playing golf, and living the single life. Looking for adventure, he moved back and forth to Arizona and eventually settled in Charlotte, NC. While in Charlotte, Travis worked at Enterprise where he made many lifelong friends and then worked as a financial specialist in Charlotte and later in Virginia. He enjoyed spending time with his old pals and made many new friends along the way. Travis eventually fell in love, got married, and had a beautiful baby girl. After 12 years in Charlotte, they moved back home to be closer to family which was always very important to him.
Travis had a mischievous, gapped tooth grin that made everyone smile. He had a magnetic personality and easily convinced others to follow his lead. This often got him in trouble…or, at the very least, made us all laugh. Friends considered him randomly lucky, always seeming to be at the right place at the right time. He was consistent, devoted, loved tradition, and was the consummate host. Music was a passion he shared with his wife, daughter, nephew, and friends. He especially enjoyed live music from jam bands like Widespread Panic. Often at concerts he would do his disappearing/reappearing act to the amazement of his friends. His crazy antics would soon be referred to as “pulling a Wallace”. He inherited a fascination with weather from his dad which he passed along to his daughter. They would spend hours together watching the Weather Channel, sharing their predictions. As everyone knows, he was a diehard, superstitious Pittsburgh Steelers fan from an early age. NOTHING came between him and his Steelers, except Pete. He especially loved playing fantasy football in the Camel Hair Jacket League with his “brothers and sisters” in Charlotte, creating team names that were uniquely him like “The Unflushables”. Occasionally, there would be a poker game on the side. Always fun to be around, Travis never met a stranger and quickly made you feel like “family”. He loved good natured “smack talk”, but you always knew he had your back. He was a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend.
Travis was preceded in death by his father, Oden Wayne Wallace. In addition to his mother, Wanda Crawford Wallace, he is survived by his wife, Tommie Cook Wallace; daughter, Haylee Rose Wallace; sister, Cindy Wallace (Vangie); brother, Johnny Wallace (Suzanne); nephews, Gavin and Graham Wallace; niece, Morgan Wallace; aunt, Peggy Linthicum; uncle, Butch Crawford (Ann); uncle, Walter Crawford (Ava); cousins and LOTS of loving friends.
A celebration of Travis’ life will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that gifts be made to the college fund of Haylee Rose Wallace, NC 529 Plan/College Foundation of NC (www.CFNC.org/NC529) Account #540273186-003.
- Make checks payable to “NC 529 Plan” and mail to:
NC 529 Plan, PO Box 40877, Raleigh, NC 27629-0877.
- Please provide the NC 529 Plan Account number on the memo line of the check.
Cremation Society of Virginia-Newport News assisted the family with arrangements.