Willie Wallace

Willie Belle Wallace, a retiree from Ethicon as a winder, died peacefully on Sunday, October 28, 2018 at the age of 79 at the Genesis Nursing Care Facility in Westfield, NJ. Willie Belle was born to Carlton and Sally Pearl Roberson in Dublin, GA on March 19, 1939. Willie Belle attended Dublin Public Schools where she was a good student and a member of the Girls varsity basketball team. After graduating Dublin High School in 1958, she moved to Sharon, PA, joining one of her older sisters, Lottie Denson, all while working to help patients at a local hospital. The following year, February 1959, Willie Belle married her high school sweetheart, Westley Wallace. Soon after, they moved to Newark, NJ and started their family, first welcoming baby girl, Debra Ann, followed by younger sister, Naimah Dematra, and later, baby boy, Darron Renard. Befitting their strong religious roots, the family attended Reid Temple eventually becoming active members of Bible Way Church of God in Christ in Orange, NJ led by Elder Aaron Williams. A founding member of Bible Way, Willie served in many capacities including Sunday school teacher, Deaconess, and Hospitality Committee Chair. In the late 1960s, the family packed up and moved to Plainfield, NJ. Willie Belle was a huge sports fanatic. She loved the New York Knicks, often referring to Patrick Ewing as her long lost son. She could be found watching her Knicks or the New York Yankees on any given night. She was an avid bowler and competed in many bowling leagues throughout the state, along with her husband and sister, Elizabeth Smith. When none of the other fathers stepped up, Willie volunteered to coach her children’s basketball teams. After a near drowning incident, she enrolled in swim lessons at the Plainfield YWCA. Now, having learned to swim at age 33, she fell in love with the pool! You couldn’t keep her out of the water. She later joined Weight Watchers, lost 60 lbs, and was the topic of a feature story in the local area newspaper. Sweetnin’, as she was affectionately called by family and friends, became a local celebrity. Sweetnin’ had a love of life, learning, and fashion. Always looking to improve herself, she enrolled in computer courses at Union County College while also taking tailoring classes at Fabricland. She was a talented seamstress often making dresses and suits for family and friends. Willie enjoyed cooking and baking. She loved entertaining in her Plainfield home inviting folks over to sample her down home cooking. Her cream cheese pound cake was legendary! She was known to wake up in the middle of the night just to bake her delicious teacakes. Willie loved her own cooking and when something tasted really good to her, she would say, “mmmm, that tastes like mo’.” Willie is pre-deceased by her parents, Carlton and Sally Pearl Roberson, as well as seven siblings including Anna Mae Smith, Carlton Roberson, Jr., Ruby Knight, Verlene Sylvester, Lottie Denson, Retha Mae Bradford, and Joe Louis Roberson. Willie is survived by older sister, Elizabeth Smith (Plainfield, NJ), daughters Debra Ann Lewis (Plainfield, NJ) and Naimah Dematra Wallace (Plainfield, NJ), son and daughter-in-law Darron Wallace and Zelda Spence Wallace (Belle Mead, NJ), grandchildren starting with the oldest, Derrick Wallace (Plainfield, NJ), Maurice and granddaughter-in-law Monique Lewis (Plainfield, NJ), Anita Johnson (Atlanta, GA), Ashley Huntington (Lebanon, TN), Darron Justin Wallace, Chilly Wallace, and Magnus Wallace (Belle Mead, NJ), great granddaughter, Hailey Ray Huntington (Lebanon, TN), niece Lottie Domangue (Englewood, NJ), nephew Wayne Smith (MA), and a host of other nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. The home going service will be held on Friday, November 2, 2018 at Bible Way COGIC 26 North Essex Avenue Orange, NJ 07051 beginning with the Wake at 11AM followed by the funeral service at 12PM. Elder Jeffery Parks will officiate and Elder Ronald Crawley will deliver the eulogy. The interment will take place immediately following the funeral services at Hillside Cemetery 1401 Woodland Avenue Scotch Plains, NJ 07076. Afterwards, the Repast will take place at the Plainfield Tower West 601 West 7 th Street Plainfield, NJ 07060 Community Room. Friends are welcome to attend the services. Funeral arrangements entrusted to Plinton Curry Funeral Home 411 W. Broad Street, Westfield, NJ 07090. Donate money to Alzheimer’s Association .