Andrew Kelly Wallace, known to many of his family and friends as Andy, crossed over Jordan on September 4, 2023.
Andy was born in 1978 in Eustis, Florida, to L. Kelly Wallace and Sallie Dillard Wallace, was raised in Eustis, and graduated from Eustis High School in 1997. In 2001, Andy earned his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Georgia. Andy was a veteran, having served in the United States Navy from 2003 – 2009.
Andy’s first and best friends were his many cousins. His whole life long, Andy treasured the memories of a blessed and bright childhood spent with family and generations of family friends. Remembrances of days spent with cousins, good dogs, and fishing poles in the woods, groves, and swimming pools and freshwater springs were bright days for Andy and buoyed him the rest of his life—his North Star.
Andy knew Jesus and so he knew this world was not his home, but he was a lover of world travel and world history. Through his service in the Navy, Andy saw the globe and he loved to tell of the things he had seen and done in the great cities and wild places of the world. His love of these things led him to teach English in Peru, where he came to know Cusco, ate adventurously, explored the countryside on horseback, and found his way to Machu Picchu. The special friends Andy met in the Navy and in his travels strengthened, sustained, and supported him.
Andy was a voracious reader and a lover of pizza, dogs, baseball, and the by God Florida Gators. Andy grew to be quite the cook and found big joy in trying new recipes and foods. Andy was kind and generous to a fault, beloved for his gentle nature and his wicked sense of humor.
Andy was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Clyde and Lurlene (Greene) Wallace, his maternal grandparents, Barney and Filly (Arborio) Dillard, and his beloved father, L. Kelly Wallace. Andy is survived by his mother, Sallie Dillard Wallace, of Montezuma, Georgia, and his sister, Rana Marie Wallace, of Perry, Florida, along with members of the Wallace and Dillard families.
Andy has said his goodbyes to this sweet world of sorrow, his life to begin anew in death. Family and friends will be received at Hamlin & Hilbish Funeral Home, 326 East Orange Avenue, Eustis, Florida, on September 29, 2023, between 11:00 a.m., and 1:00 p.m. Navy honors will be offered at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to express sympathy may consider making a donation to the Gary Sinise Foundation, www.garysinisefoundation.org, or your favorite charity.
