Obituary of Harlan Lloyd Wallace

Harlan Lloyd Wallace died at home, surrounded by his loving wife and children, after a 9-month battle with cancer. Harley passed away on Thursday, May 16, 2024.

Harley was born on May 21, 1951 in Rockland, Maine. Harley attended Friendship schools, Waldoboro High School, and was the first graduating class of Medomak Valley High School in 1969. Harley met the love of his life, Kathy, whom he married in May of 1981.

Harley followed into the family business and became a commercial lobsterman, purchasing his first lobster license when he was just 6 years old. He continued lobstering throughout his life and, after 65 years, retired from the industry that he loved in January 2023. In 1996 Harley and 14 other Friendship fisherman purchased Wallace Shellfish, a successful lobster-buying wharf, and created the Friendship Lobster Co-op. Throughout his life, he engaged in other commercial fishing industries, including musseling, scalloping, urchining, clamming and shrimping. Every spring, Harley would build and repair wharves, ramps and floats, along the mid-coast with the help of his sons. Harley was an extremely hard worker and a respected member of the lobstering community.

Harley enjoyed many hobbies throughout his life. He was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed hunting for deer, bear, bird, rabbit, and moose. Harley was a recipient of a moose permit in the inaugural Maine moose lottery in 1980 and enjoyed a successful harvest with his brother Larry. Since 1980, he has helped many friends harvest moose. Of all his hunts, he was most proud of the hunts with his family. He was involved in moose hunts with his sons, Ernie and Ronnie, his granddaughter Kylie and grandson Trent. Harley enjoyed ice fishing and open-water fishing and took many fishing trips across the country. Every spring, Harley would look forward to his yearly fishing trips with his friends Dick Laine and Bill Rourke. Some of his favorite trips were to the Great Lakes, many lakes in Northern Maine and the Miramichi River in Canada. Alaska was always a dream of Harley’s. Throughout his life, he was able to fulfill that dream, and Harley traveled to Alaska numerous times to go fishing with various friends as well as his sons. Harley enjoyed snowmobiling with his wife, and for many years was a member of the Sno-Crawlers snowmobile club in Friendship. Harley snowmobiled locally and made many trips around Northern Maine, including to his camp in Carroll Plantation. Harley enjoyed traveling with his wife throughout the years to many locations, their most recent retirement vacation together was to Florida along with their daughter Kristen. Harley hosted annual 4th of July parties since the 70’s on various island beaches in Friendship, a tradition that continued after he built a camp on Hall Island. Harley’s 4th of July parties were legendary, something his family and friends looked forward to every year. Harley enjoyed spending afternoons taking his daughter Kristen to lunch or working on various projects together, their largest project was restoring Kristen’s historic home in Friendship. Every morning in the off-season, Harley would make frequent trips to the “shore” to chat with his friends or lend a helping hand. Friendship mattered deeply to Harley. On Saturday nights, you could find Harley and Kathy having dinner at local restaurants with dear friends Bill and Anne Rourke. Most often you would find Harley spending time with his family, whom he adored, or visiting with lifelong friends, Richard and Patty Burns, around their kitchen table. Harley was a lifetime Mason and Shriner. Harley will be fondly remembered by many, for his sense of humor, someone always willing to give a helping hand and being a devoted husband, father and “Bampa.” Harley was proud of his children and grandchildren and had a very special relationship and unbreakable bond with each of them. Harley was a no-nonsense man with a heart of gold. He always welcomed people into his home with a big hello and a cold drink.

Harley was predeceased by his parents, J. Harlan Wallace and Irene Wallace, his sisters Jane Wallace and Patricia Barton, brother-in-law Wayne Hooper and son-in-law Ronald Weeks Jr.

Harley is survived by his wife of 42 years Kathleen Wallace; daughter, Kristen Weeks and her partner Codey Woods of Knox; son, Ernest Wallace and his wife Natasha; grandchildren, Kylie Weeks, Trent and Tenlee Wallace all of Friendship. Harley is also survived by his father and mother-in-law, Ernest and Ernestine Hooper of Washington; sister, Virginia Blouin and her husband David of South Portland; brother, Larry and his wife Jane of Friendship, brother-in-law Larry Hooper and his wife Tamra of Greenville and sister-in-law Beverly Weston and her husband Joseph of Cushing.

Harley had many, amazing lifelong friends with whom he will be greatly missed.

Per Harley’s wishes, and continuing his tradition of his 4th of July celebrations, his family would like to celebrate his life with a gathering at his home in Friendship on Sunday, June 30th, the rain date will be Sunday, July 7th from 1-3pm.

Donations in Harley’s honor may be made to the Brendan Lash Memorial Scholarship in care of Lura Robinson, 23 Forest Lake Road, Friendship, Maine 04547; which helps children in Knox County further their education or the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association to continue their efforts supporting our fishing industries.