Obituary of Bobby Wayne Wallis

Bobby Wayne Wallis, age 52, Yankton, passed away Sunday, March 2, 2014 at his residence. Funeral services will be 11:00 AM, Tuesday, March 11, 2014 at St. John's Lutheran Church, Yankton, with Rev. Dave Gunderson officiating. Burial will be at approximately 1:15 PM at the Thabor Lutheran Cemetery, Wausa, NE with Military Graveside Rites by the Roy Carlson VFW Post #5824. Visitations will begin at 5:00 PM, Monday at the Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home & Crematory, Yankton, with a Scripture service at 7:00 PM. Visitations will resume one hour prior to the service at the church. Bobby Wayne Wallis, son of BG (Wally) and Connie (Colyne) Wallis was born June 24, 1961 in Sedalia, Missouri. He was baptized on January 6th, 1974 at First Baptist Church in Windsor, Missouri and was confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church on August 21, 1988. As part of a military family he attended schools in Delaware, Kansas, Missouri, Texas and Arkansas and graduated in 1979 from Sylvan Hills High School in North Little Rock, Arkansas. He earned his B.S. in Biology and Criminal Justice from Mount Marty College and his Masters in Political Science from the University of South Dakota. He married Beth Ann (Wrick) Wallis on May 21, 1988 in Wausa, Nebraska. The couple was blessed with three children: Matthew, Joshua, and Maggie Ann. Bobby worked at the family business, Rainbow Gardens, and then the Sherwood and Yankton Police Departments. Bobby earned the FBI Meritorious Service Award for saving two children while serving as a police officer for the Sherwood Police Department. Additionally he received the Walter D. Lowe Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer Award presented by the North Hills Jaycees for outstanding service. He then proudly served in the US Navy at the rank of Petty Officer First Class as a Military Intelligence Specialist. He dearly loved being with his family, his English Springer Spaniels, fishing and hunting, grilling, history, politics and reading. Bobby is survived by his parents, BG and Connie Wallis of Higden, Arkansas, wife of 25 years, Beth Wallis, Yankton, SD, three children, Matthew W. Wallis, Anchorage, AK, Joshua E. Wallis of Vermillion, SD, and Maggie A Wallis of Yankton, SD, two brothers Michael (Patricia) Wallis Cabot, AR, and Douglas (Connie) Wallis of North Little Rock, AR. Mother-in-law, Beverly Wrick, in-laws: David (Jana) Wrick, Patricia (Troy) Strom, and Mark (Jera) Wrick and a host of cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Lester and Margaret Colyne, Carl and Ruby Wallis and father-in-law Wayne Wrick.