Daniel Lee Wallace

Daniel Lee Wallace, age 86, of Topeka, passed away Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at Midland Hospice Care in Topeka.  Dan was born March 10, 1934 on Hoopers Island, Maryland, an island in the Chesapeake Bay, the son of Humes and Gertie (Lewis) Wallace.  He attended Hoopers Island Elementary School through eleventh grade and, having only two students in his class, he transferred to Cambridge High School in Cambridge, Maryland for his senior year, graduating in 1952.  In the fall of 1952, he enrolled in the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he studied art and illustration, receiving his diploma from AIPP in 1954. Dan enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, completed basic training at Samson, New York and was assigned to Forbes Air Force Base in Topeka, KS where he remained until his discharge in the fall of 1957.  Dan’s lifelong interest in cameras and photography began when he was assigned to work on the cameras on the Strategic Air Command (SAC) aircraft while in the air force.  Following his military service, in 1958, Dan was employed at the AT&SF Railway Co., Office of Freight Accounts in Topeka.  On June 21, 1959, Dan married Sharlyn Lesser in Topeka.  Together, they established Wallace Photography in North Topeka.  For 49 years they worked as a team to photograph several thousand weddings, thousands of portraits and commercial assignments and hundreds of projects to restore old photographs.  Two of their favorite ongoing projects were Topeka Civic Theater and Kansas Teacher of the Year posters and photographs.  He and Sharlyn also owned and operated their photography lab, Wallace Color Service, doing all their own photo processing as well as processing for other area photography professionals.  This business hosted nationally known educators who provided information to area photographers on new technologies in their field.  After Sharlyn’s death in 2009, Dan continued to put his photography and artistic skill to use making digital posters to mark special events at his new home, Arbor Court Apartments.  Dan was a member of the North Topeka Kiwanis Club, North Topeka Merchants Association and the Seaman High School Historical Society.  He was president of the North Topeka Merchants Association at the time of the opening and dedication of the Kansas Avenue Bridge in 1967.  Dan was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Sharlyn; brother-in-law, Maurice Davis; brother-in-law, Darryl Lesser and a great niece, Lauren Rosso.  He is survived by his sister, Joan Davis of Salisbury, Maryland; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Bill and Vicki Lesser, and a sister-in-law, Elsie Lesser of Topeka; five nieces and one nephew; 13 great nieces and nephews and nine great-great nieces and nephews.

Graveside services will be Friday, January 22, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. at the Rochester Cemetery.  He will lie in state Thursday from noon – 5:00 p.m. at the Davidson Funeral Home.  Memorial contributions may be made to the Daniel and Sharlyn Wallace Scholarship at Seaman High School or Midland Hospice Care and sent in care of the Davidson Funeral Home.  Services will be livestreamed at the Davidson Funeral Home & Cremation Services Facebook page.  davidsonfuneral.com.