July 4, 1929 – January 4, 2017

Boyce Wallace was born on July 4, 1929, on a farm near Albertson, N.C., into a family of seven children. He graduated from B. F. Grady High School in 1948. He served in the North Carolina National Guard before serving two years of active duty in Berlin during the Cold War air lift, after which he served an additional six years in the Army Reserve. After surrendering to the call to the ministry while a member of the Snow Hill Free Will Baptist Church, Rev. Wallace enrolled in the Free Will Baptist Bible College in Nashville, TN, from which he earned degrees in Bible and English in 1955. That same year, he married North Carolinian Ada Beth Hickmon, whom he met in Bible College. In 2016 they celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary. They had two children, Andrew (deceased) and Melody, who currently lives in Gainesville, FL. Boyce began his ministry when he became pastor of the Shady Grove Free Will Baptist Church near Clarksville, TN. He was ordained to the ministry in the Free Will Baptist Church and later in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Rev. Wallace studied Education at Middle Tennessee State University, and Journalism at Scarritt College in Nashville, TN. He attended The Cumberland Presbyterian seminary in McKenzie, TN and received a Bachelor of Divinity 1962. While in seminary he was pastor at Mt. Tabor and Jerusalem Cumberland Presbyterian Churches both in Murfreesboro, TN. He later went on to earn Master Degree in Theology at Princeton Theology Seminary in Princeton, NJ. Boyce and Beth began to feel the call to foreign missionary service and began conversations with leaders of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church 1962. That same year Boyce accepted a call to be pastor at the Marlow Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Marlow, OK.. He served for six months before learning of an opportunity for mission work in Colombia. They quickly applied and were accepted, and off they went. He once recalled, “We drove a 1955 Ford with two kids cramped in the back seat for the most exciting trip of [their] lives,” driving throughout much of Central America before arriving in San Jose, Costa Rica where he attended Language School. In July of 1964, Boyce and family arrived in Cali, Colombia, and began their first ministry assignment in Armenia where they spent four years. The next assignment was to Cali, Colombia, where they made their home, serving in the Cauca Valley Presbytery. Rev. Wallace reported that at any given time, he could be found filling numerous roles, not just as pastor, “youth ministry, teaching seminary extension classes, camp administrator, treasurer, legal officer, a member of presbytery boards, jeep driver, first-aid person, and director of work groups.” In June of 2010, Boyce was elected Moderator of the 180th General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Cauca Valley Presbytery had the honor of hosting the 2015 General Assembly in Cali, Colombia, Boyce’s adopted home. This was a dream come true for him. Rev. Wallace commented that, “one of our greatest blessings is that we have been able to see the world from another perspective, freeing us from a parochial vision. That goes for our children as well.” Rev. Wallace is survived by his wife, Beth, daughter Melody (Michael) Hofstetter, Andrew’s wife, Jenny Lau, four grandchildren Ryan and Erik Hofstetter and Daniel and Ester Wong, one great grandson Cooper Hofstetter. Also four siblings and numerous nephews and nieces. Boyce was a friend, counselor, comforter, encourager, peace-maker, and servant to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Colombia. His legacy will live on through all that knew him. Funeral services for Rev. Harry Boyce Wallace, will be held at Christ Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Tampa Florida on 12 January 2017. Arrangements under the direction of Blount & Curry FH-Carrollwood, Tampa, FL. Please visit their web page at: www.blountcurrycarrollwood.com/ to sign the online guest book. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to the Foundation for the Senior Citizens Home, Hogar Samaria, in Cali Colombia, in care of: Board of Stewardship, 8207 Traditional Place, Cordova, TN 38016