Described as a wonderful friend and pillar of the community, Chesley (Ches) Wallace was honoured Monday as part of Legion Week. Wallace passed away Aug. 17, 2017 at the age of 91.
A number of family members attended the dedication for Comrade Wallace, including daughter Jane Wallace and granddaughter Grace Heywood from Bracebridge, Ont., and Wallace's oldest daughter Peggy Wallace and her husband Brian Torrance from Bruce Mines. Several members of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 374 in Richards Landing were also in attendance.
The Wallace tartan was draped over the bench located at a memorial pad until it was unveiled by Jane and Grace.
Those who braved the sweltering afternoon heat shared countless fond memories of a neighbour, a friend, a teacher, a syrup producer, a Lion, and a municipal councillor.
"Ches would have been tickled pink to have the bench named after him," said Carol Trainor.
"He was truly legendary," she continued. "He was a teacher, a mentor, not just to his students but to the community.
With the syrup production, legion involvement, Lion's club and all the things he was involved in, he truly epitomized what someone should be for their community and how they should give to their community. He set an example. He didn't just say you should go and do that, he was right in there washing dishes or whatever needed done. He set that example."
It was not in the classroom that Trainor got to know Wallace, but a lengthy courtship he had with her mother, Alice Trainor spanning a number of years.
"He called himself, 'finance in waiting', a term Ches liked to tell people," she said with a smile. "We made a good joke of that."
With a little lump in her throat, Trainor proudly shared how Wallace was very much part of her family, celebrating every occasion from Thanksgiving to birthdays.
"He meant the world to me," she said, adding that even though the two didn't share the same blood, they were very much a family.
Pastor Hugh Hamilton opened the dedication, highlighting Wallace's remarkable history with and dedication to the Legion.
"He had a memory like a steel trap and could remember decisions made by previous executives and why and it was done the way it was. And that knowledge was invaluable and now we've lost that because no-one has been around that long."
The Ches Wallace memorial bench is located near the flag pole at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 374 in Richards Landing.