Grace Alicia Wallace Fenner

Grace Alicia Wallace Fenner, 84, of Seattle, WA, passed away peacefully on December 31, 2025. She was born January 8, 1941 in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, the daughter of the late Lupercio Wallace, Sr. and Leonile Wallace Wilson.

She is predeceased by husband, Ashley Fenner, and two brothers Lupercio A. Wallace, Jr. and Earle A. Wallace.

Grace is survived by her sisters: Genevieve A. Wilson-Smith of Manhattan, NY; Dr. Constance A. Wilson Graham of Ithaca, NY; and LaVerne M.A. Wilson of Elmira, NY. She is lovingly remembered by numerous nieces, nephews and their families.

In 1952, Grace moved from St. Thomas to New York State with family where she attended Elmira schools through the 10th grade before moving to the Bronx where she went to Walton High School. At Walton, she became accomplished in office management courses, such as bookkeeping; she was a proficient typist (more than 100+ words per minute) and excelled in the Gregg shorthand system of dictation by the time she graduated in 1959.

Grace went on to do further training in the specialized area of stenography with ambitions of becoming a court reporter. However, her ambitions were thwarted since, in the early 1960s, people of color were rarely, if ever, employed in such positions. However, equipped with excellent office skills, she was soon employed as a professional office manager for several companies in New York City.

Alternatively, Grace decided to pursue another ambition of becoming an elementary school teacher, like her mother, and attended Malcolm-King Community College at night where she received an Associate of Arts degree. Soon after graduating, a trip to visit her brother, Earle, in Seattle would interrupt her plans to teach in New York City. Wanting to live closer to Earle, she moved to Washington State where she would spend the rest of her life.

On arriving in Seattle, Grace continued to be employed in office work for different companies, including UPS where she was one of their three state revenue auditors. She headed their Seattle hub and was commended in the October, 1987 issue of the company's Big Idea magazine for saving UPS $11,588 in one week in July of that year.

She never gave up on her desire to teach and continued taking courses part-time at the University of Washington. Although she never finished the degree, she was often employed in Seattle schools as a Teacher's Aide.

Friends and family were very important to Grace. In the nearly 74 years of her life in the States, she made and kept friendships that were added to the dear friends she had since childhood in St. Thomas. Grace often returned to the Virgin Islands whenever possible and would always regard St. Thomas as "Home".

Family and friends are invited to celebrate her going to the best Home of all on Saturday, January 17th at 10:00 am at the Walter J. Kent Funeral Home, 858 Lake Street, Elmira, NY. Pastor Kale Mann will officiate. Committal prayers and interment will follow in Woodlawn Cemetery.