Wallace Roberts

Wallace Roberts, age 76, passed away on December 7, 2023, after a long and valiant battle with cancer. Wallace was born on February 5, 1947, to parents Margaret Wallace Roberts and John Thomas Roberts in Maryville, Tennessee.

Wallace, a most loving and devoted husband, father, and grandfather, is survived by his wife of fifty-three years, Sarah Jane Roberts, son Brent Roberts and wife Whitney Roberts, daughter Sarah Elizabeth Laurenzi and husband Justin Laurenzi, grandchildren Barrett Roberts, Claire Roberts, Sarah Catherine Laurenzi, and Colin Laurenzi; his brother John Thomas Roberts, Jr.; his sisters, Margaret Jane Roberts and Elizabeth Roberts Reynolds and husband Mike Reynolds; sister-in-law Debbie Covington and brothers-in-law Russ Covington, Danny Boring, and Mike Boring; nieces and nephews Jay Reynolds, Grant Reynolds, Vincent Gable, Megan Roberts Koller, Daniel Roberts, Thomas Kleppe, and Kara Kleppe Smith.

Wallace graduated from Maryville High School and was a member of the Maryville Rebel football team which captured the Associated Press State Championship in 1964. He remained a proud Maryville High supporter throughout his life. Wallace later attended East Tennessee State University on a football scholarship. He graduated from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and continued to earn a Master of Engineering from UTK, as well.

He began his engineering career at the Tennessee Valley Authority in Knoxville, where he directed engineers in the design of structures for air pollution abatement for coal-fired power plants and provided engineering support for 17 nuclear units. Wallace later provided engineering expertise at Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Hodge Engineering Company, Allen and Hoshall, Science Applications International Corp., Professional Project Services, and Resource Tek. He was an expert on air pollution control equipment and wind and earthquake analysis. He was also the lead structural engineer for many buildings, including one of the civil and environmental engineering buildings on the UTK campus.

Wallace was an outdoor enthusiast and enjoyed spending time in nature and hiking in the Smokies. He also had a passion for bird hunting and took pleasure in many hunting seasons with his English Setters and his Cesky Fousek Pointing Griffon. For Wallace, there was nothing much better than a day in the fields or mountains with his dogs.

He was a member of First United Methodist Church of Maryville, several bird hunting clubs, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the American Institute of Steel Construction.

His funeral service will take place at 6:00 PM on December 13, at First United Methodist Church of Maryville, with family and friends visitation following the service. In his memory, donations may be made to St. Jude Research Hospital or the American Cancer Society.

The Roberts family is grateful to many compassionate medical professionals at Blount Memorial Hospital, BM Hospice, UT Medical Center, and Vanderbilt Cancer Center, especially Dr. Ousama Dabbagh, Dr. Maikel Botros, Dr. Wade Iams, Dr. Kristen Carver, Dr. Sean Jordan, Dr. Laura Yount, Dr. Erin Hood, and RN Macy Waters.

Wallace was a truly great man whose impact will be forever felt by his family, especially his four grandchildren, whom he loved spending time with. He was a selfless person whose passing left an unfilled gap in the heart of his loved ones. His ability to sacrifice, provide support, forgive, and love will be ingrained in all he knew.