REV. WALLACE P. RIVERS's Obituary
Reverend Wallace P. Rivers, 96, of Louisville, KY, went to be with the Lord, whom he loved with all his heart, on September 27, 2019. Wallace was born November 30, 1922 in High Springs, Florida. He lost his father, a veteran of World War I, tragically at the age of 9, and was subsequently raised by his widowed mother. He joined the U.S. Navy as a 19-year old high school senior - with the reluctant permission of his mother since he was underage - shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He served honorably in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters, aboard both PC (Patrol Coastal) 544 and Destroyer Escort (DE-162) USS Levy, achieving the rank of Quartermaster First Class. He was a gifted navigator, ship’s photographer, and for the last year before his discharge in 1945, taught celestial navigation at the U.S. Naval Training Center, Miami, Florida.
In 1943, while serving in World War II, he married Ernestine Balentine, to whom he was married for 54 years. In the early years of their marriage and following his discharge from military service, he worked as a house painter, postal carrier, package delivery truck driver, and accountant. In 1951, he surrendered to the call of God to preach and for over six decades served in the gospel ministry as a Southern Baptist pastor at churches in central Texas as well as north and south Florida, with Ernestine at his side. During that time, he conducted 1,436 funerals, a ministry he found particularly rewarding. He also served as the Director of Operations for the South Florida Jail Ministry and was Chaplain at the VA Hospital in Miami.
After his official “retirement” at age 65, Wallace continued to serve God as Minister of Pastoral Care at Perrine Baptist Church in South Florida. He accomplished much for God’s kingdom during his decades of ministry, but was particularly proud of baptizing and marrying all three of his children. Wallace was a graduate of Stetson University in Deland, Florida, and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.
After Ernestine’s passing, Wallace married Madelyn Joyce Roper. They moved to Louisville, KY, in 2017 to be closer to his youngest daughter, Darlene Holzbach, a retired nurse, who oversaw their care. He loved being a member of Highview Baptist Church East Campus in Louisville, and enjoyed attending Classic Worship at Southeast Christian Church on Thursdays.
In 2018, he was proud to be among other World War II veterans aboard an Honor Flight Bluegrass trip to Washington, DC, escorted by his daughter, Darlene. Later that same summer, he was thrilled to be a passenger on a WWII B-25 bomber. In June 2019, he was honored to give the invocation at the 75th Anniversary of D-Day at Memorial Auditorium in Louisville.
Wallace was an avid fisherman, carpenter, and model ship builder. He was fond of saying, “The more you serve God, the more you grow to love God. And the more you love others, the more you love God.”
He is survived by his wife, Joyce, his children, David Rivers (Kathy) of Leesburg, FL; Diane Rivers (Bryan Beane) of Hendersonville, NC; Darlene Holzbach (Bill) of Shelbyville, KY; granddaughters Allison Rivers (Tony Nicosia) and Teresa Ann Rivers; and his stepchildren Daniel Roper (Lisa) of Armuchee, GA, their children Laura Ann Nolan (Bryce), John Roper, and Jackson Roper; Chris Cox (Dave) of Miami, FL, and their children David Cox (Kim) and Daniel Cox. In addition to his parents, Wallace is predeceased by his twin brother, Hollis, and his sister, Martha Stripling.
Wallace’s family is grateful to Atria Blankenbaker for their kindness and compassion.
Visitation will be 1 to 3 pm on Wednesday, October 2, 2019 at Newcomer Cremations, Funerals and Receptions, East Louisville Chapel, 235 Juneau Drive, Louisville, KY (in Middletown), with a celebration of Wallace's life at 3 pm.
Visitation will also be held 9:30 to 10 am on Saturday, October 5, 2019 at First Baptist Church of Cutler Ridge, 10301 Caribbean Blvd, Cutler Bay, FL 33189 with a service there at 10 am. Burial will follow at Caballero Rivero Woodlawn South, 11655 SW 117th Ave, Miami, FL 33186.
Memorials may be made in Wallace’s honor to Highview Baptist Church East Campus, 7711 Fegenbush Lane, Louisville, KY 40228, or Honor Flight Bluegrass at www.honorflightbluegrass.org.
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