LEESBURG, Fla. —
On Aug. 16, 1958, Les and Pauline (Polly) Derusha of White River Junction, Vt., were joined in marriage. Together they made their home in West Lebanon, N.H., where they raised their family. In 1959 Les had the opportunity to become a service technician for automatic pin setters in the first New Hampshire ten pin bowling house known as Golfside Bowling Lanes in Hanover. Over the next thirty years, Les experienced several career changes. In 1962 he became the general manager of Golfside Bowling Lanes. He was instrumental in generating a spin off company called Recreational Sales Corporation (RESCO). RESCO offered sales and service for all types of coin operated gaming and vending machines. Again he started as a service technician, this time for pinball machines and jukeboxes. The company grew to serve 700 locations across six states. He served as president of the company for ten years prior to his retirement in 1989. Following retirement from RESCO, he established a home based company named Les Wallace Enterprises. The purpose of Les Wallace Enterprises was mainly to provide service for people who had bought used pinball machines and jukeboxes for home use. In 1996 he entered full retirement.
Les enjoyed people and always had time to stop and talk. He had a reputation for chance meetings with friends and acquaintances in places far from home. His interests included hunting and fishing in the woods of Vermont and New Hampshire, bowling in local leagues and the ABC national tournament, watching NASCAR while cheering for his namesake Rusty Wallace, listening to country music and travelling. In retirement, Les and Polly enjoyed several cruises, a bus tour of Ireland and Scotland, and many miles in their motor home touring the US and Canada. At home he spent many hours in his garage maintaining family vehicles and sharing his life long love of auto mechanics with friends. He cherished being with family most of all and was known for his “Beaver Meadow bear hugs”. He was a member of the BPOE Lodge #1541, Hartford, Vermont, and the Loyal Order of Moose Lodge #874, Eustis, Florida. In 2012 Les and Polly moved to Florida to take advantage of the warmer weather and the opportunities offered in retirement community living.
He is survived by his wife of 58 years Pauline, Leesburg, Fla.; a son Scott Wallace (Lori), Temecula, Calif.; daughters Kelly Rivoli (James), Portland, Maine and Judith Langhans (James), Windsor, Vt.; grandchildren Michelle Creutzberger (Peter), South Burlington, Vt.; Danielle Romero (Patrick), San Jose, Calif.; Andrew Wallace, Fullerton, Calif. and Nicholas Langhans, Windsor, Vt.; a brother Stanley A. Wallace (Christine), Wilder, Vt.; a sister Jeanette St. George, Dorchester, N.H.; also several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a brother Wendell M. Wallace. There will be no calling hours. It was Les’s wish that a graveside service limited to family members be held at the Pine Hill Cemetery, Sharon, Vt. Remember him as a loving husband and dad, devoted son and brother and valued friend.