Wallace "Wally" Flower

A soldier, husband, father and teacher has gone home. Wallace L. (“Wally”) Flower, 88, of South Haven was born August 27, 1923 in Fountain City, Tennessee and was raised in Willis, Michigan, the eldest son of an auto mechanic, Melvin Flower, and his wife Nora. Following high school, Wally joined the U.S. Army and as a member of the 2nd Infantry Division, helped secure the beachhead at Omaha Beach on the second day of the Normandy Invasion, June 7th, 1944. From Normandy, Wally fought through many of the toughest battles in the European theater, including the Battle of the Bulge, and was part of the American force that eventually entered Germany. In February 1945, shortly after capturing a German prisoner, he was severely wounded. A serious infection threatened his life, but after a long convalescence, he made a full recovery and entered Eastern Michigan University on the GI Bill. He became a high school math and science teacher and coach. While in his first job in Grant, Michigan, he met a young Home Economics teacher from Kentucky, Nell Richards Shields; she became the love of his life. Their first date was to see the comedian Bob Hope in Grand Rapids, and they were married October 18, 1951. Over the 30-plus years that followed, Wally’s teaching career took him and his family to Williamston, South Haven, Watervliet and Berrien Springs. His first child, a daughter, died at a young age and another daughter passed away as an infant; however Wally and Nell raised three sons and their extended family expanded to encompass hundreds of students and athletes who were frustrated, encouraged, challenged, inspired and, ultimately, taught through Wally’s high standards and wonderfully maddening sense of humor. Throughout his life, Wally remained a pillar of his church, a dedicated gardener and a rabid sports fan who agonized over the fortunes of the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, and the University of Michigan Wolverines. He endured the deaths of his daughters, Susan and Mary Ruth, two sisters, Claire and Nancy, and two brothers, David and Jim. And at the time of his death, February 11 at his home, he sincerely believed that his life had been a gift from God. His surviving students, friends and family –– including two brothers, Tom (Barb) of Dundee, MI and Buhl of Milan, MI, his beloved Nell, his sons, John (Richard) of Kansas City, Bill (Debbie) of South Haven and Paul (Lori) of South Haven, eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild –– are thankful for that gift.
Visitation will be on Tuesday, February 14 from 6-8 PM at the Filbrandt Family Funeral Home and on Wednesday, February 15 from 12:30 – 1:30 PM with the funeral service beginning at 1:30 PM at First United Methodist Church with Rev. John Fisher officiating. Burial will take place at Lakeview Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to American Legion Post 49 of South Haven. Kindly share your thoughts and memories on the family’s online guest book at www.FilbrandtFFH.com.
The family is being helped by the Filbrandt Family Funeral Home of South Haven at 637-0333.