Wallace Russell Peck

Wallace Russell Peck

San Diego, Calif.

Wallace Russell Peck died on Nov. 15, 2022, at the age of 92 1/2.

He was born in the San Diego County Hospital on March 13, 1930, the son of Ross Purdy Peck from New York and Frances Dostal Peck from Iowa. A few days later a prophetic news article appeared in the San Diego Union reporting his birth and expressing the expectation of his father that his new son would start army pilot

 training when he became 20 years old. At the time, his father was an enlisted man in the U.S. Army Air Corps at Rockwell Field on North Island. The family lived in San Diego, Coronado, and for over four years on the base at Rockwell Field until 1938, when his father was transferred to the Sacramento Air Depot.

After graduating from Grant Union High School in North Sacramento, where he was class valedictorian, he attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, for one year before enrolling at the University of California at Berkeley, from which he graduated with honors in 1950 at the age of 19.

With the start of the Korean War in 1950, he postponed his intention to go to law school and immediately signed up for U.S. Air Force aviation cadet program, thereby fulfilling the prophecy of his father. After training in Texas in T-6 Texans and in Oklahoma in B-25 Mitchell bombers and T-28 Trojans, he received his wings as a pilot and was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1951. He saw duty in Georgia, Florida, Washington, Arizona and California, and spent 17 months on the island of Okinawa as an all-weather jet fighter pilot flying F-94 Starfires. On assignment or leave, he visited Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and the Philippines. After being discharged from active duty in 1954, he continued in the Air Force Reserve for nearly two years piloting F-80 Shooting Stars as part of a fighter-bomber squadron at Hamilton Air Force Base in Northern California.

In 1954, he enrolled in the Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California in Berkeley, where he graduated in 1957 after serving as assistant editor of the California Law Review and being made a member of the Order of the Coif in recognition of his scholastic achievements. Following graduation and passing of the State Bar examination, he practiced law in San Francisco for seven years, becoming a partner in the firm of Dunne, Phelps & Mills, while specializing in complex antitrust litigation involving motion picture theaters, the liquor industry and electrical equipment manufacturing. During that time, he was also an instructor at the San Francisco Law School for three years.

In 1965, he moved back to his San Diego roots, joining the firm of Jennings, Engstrand & Henrikson, where he remained until his retirement in 1993. He continued to practice law on a part-time basis for another year and a half until he fully retired in 1994 ending his 37-year legal career. His legal work in San Diego was centered on public agency law and water law, representing at one time or another over 30 public agencies, including Padre Dam Municipal Water District, Helix Water District, and Valley Center Municipal Water District. During his 28 years with the Jennings firm, it grew from nine attorneys to over 60, and he became managing shareholder and chairman of its public agency department. He was often a popular speaker, panelist and lecturer at forums and seminars dealing with water and other issues. He was also active with the Association of California Water Agencies. For a few years, he maintained a private pilot’s license, flying primarily out of Gillespie Field.

During his retirement, he did extensive genealogical research on his origins and those of his wife, traveling throughout the country, visiting libraries, cemeteries and newly found relatives in Iowa, New York, Connecticut, Florida and Utah, resulting in the writing of two summaries of his findings. He also wrote his autobiography for his family’s perusal and, after doing historical research, he authored two articles about local history for the Journal of San Diego History, and he appeared on three television shows and one radio program dealing with the history of flying and the military in San Diego.

He was an avid reader and researcher, interested primarily in histories and biographies, studied religions but rejected them all, was intrigued by scientific discoveries and the unfolding universe, loved his wife, enjoyed his family and martinis and was a committed Democrat.

The last few years of his life were challenged by the effects of prostate cancer and Parkinson’s disease. He never complained and continued to enjoy his life as much as possible. He had a dedicated group of in-home caregivers who helped him maintain dignity and a decent quality of life. His family was blessed to have him stay in his home and that he was always happy to see us.

His wife of 55 years, Shirley, who he married during his last year of law school, passed away in 2012. He is survived by his son, Ronald and his wife, Elizabeth of Ashland, Ore. and by his son, Russell and daughter, Laurie, both of San Diego, and granddaughter, Lauralisa and her husband, David Webster of Atlanta, Ga.

Services will be held at 2:30 p.m. Monday, May 15, at Miramar National Cemetery, where he will be interned with his wife. A Celebration of Life will follow at The Godfather Restaurant on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard at 4 p.m.