Dr. Richard Wallace

Dr. Richard Wallace

Today I received some very troubling news. A beloved professor at Luther Seminary, Dr. Richard Wallace, was found dead Thursday afternoon. He had passed away Tuesday late afternoon or early evening they figure and when he did not show up Wednesday or Thursday at his church they checked on him and found him. What a tragic loss for our community. Dr. Wallace was a wonderful and compassionate man and his passion was for Pastoral Care.

His wife was not at home with him, but they were living in a long distance relationship while she studied for her PhD at Duke University in North Carolina. His father was sick and passed away a month ago and he was planning on attending his uncle’s funeral next Tuesday in Atlanta. His mother and sister had passed away a few years ago which is another tragic tale. On his way to visit his mother in the hospital his sister picked him up at the airport and his sister collapsed and died in his arms. Two weeks later his mother died. What tragedy for his family.

Dr. Wallace was a compassionate and caring man and he will most certainly be missed by many of us at Luther Seminary and in the academic community. I had some great conversations with him and prayed with him and for him with everything that was going on with his father and his family. His work was to help advance the understanding of pastoral care and how to better care for the church community. Helping those with special needs and helping those who were in the midst of suffering. I was only one of many that were blessed to have known him. God bless you Richard Wallace! We miss you!