Dixie Lea Wallace

Dixie Lea (Cundiff) Wallace, age 86, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family at Houston Hospice on Saturday, May 5, 2018. From her birth in Centerville, Texas on September 23, 1931, until her death, she nourished the people around her with love, faith and music. She was born to Richard Ricks Cundiff and Frances Josephine Hamrick and had one younger sister, Emily Ann Hyndman.

At an early age, Dixie started playing the piano and was an academic over-achiever. After graduating Valedictorian of Centerville High School in 1949, she attended North Texas State University, Sam Houston State University and graduated from University of Texas in Austin in 1954 with a Bachelor in Music with Honors. While at UT, Dixie was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority and Honor Societies (Sigma Alpha Iota, Phi Kappa Lambda and Dean’s Honors List). Following college, she taught music in Houston (Bastian Elementary) for 2 years and then settled in Galveston teaching at numerous schools (Alamo, Weis Jr High, Rosenberg, Burnet, Island and Crockett) for 30 years, also teaching private piano lessons. Dixie was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, a Teacher Honor Society. She was a devoted member of Moody Methodist Church, where she sang in the Choir and served as a Children’s choir director for several years. One of her proudest accomplishments was Directing the Galveston College Musical, “The Roar of Greasepaint- the Smell of the Crowd” in 1986. After retirement, Dixie was an avid Bridge and Mahjong player and very active in her children's and grandchildren’s lives. She was affectionately known as “D” by her grandchildren.

She married, Wally Bob Wallace from Centerville Texas in 1957 and later divorced in 1982. Left to honor and remember D are her children: Wally Bob Wallace Jr. and his wife Adele of Katy, Texas and Angela Wallace and husband Mike Wallace of Houston, Texas, her grandchildren Steven Robert Wallace, Michael Wallace Jr., Cameron Robert Wallace and Scott William Wallace, nephew Richard Hyndman and great nephew Justin Hyndman and great niece Nicole Stanford. Dixie was preceded in death by her parents, sister Emily, brother-in-law Jeff Hyndman, and her ex-husband Bob.

A visitation will be held on Tuesday, May 15, 2018, at Walters Funeral Home, 610 S. Commerce St, Centerville, Texas from 9:30 am to 10:30 am with graveside services following at 11 am at the Centerville Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made in Dixie’s honor to Moody Methodist Church in Galveston, Texas or Houston Hospice, 1905 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, Texas 77030.

Local arrangements are under the direction of Walters Funeral Home in Centerville, Texas.