Gordon Johnson Wallace

Gordon Johnson Wallace, 88, longtime Tenafly High School teacher and track coach, passed away peacefully in Hackettstown, NJ, on March 21st, 2023. He was born in Manhattan to Gordon and Mary Wallace. When Gordon was 4, his family moved to Cresskill. In 1948 he first walked through the doors of Tenafly High School, graduating in 1952. Gordon met the love of his life, Edith Winchell, at Montclair State, from which they both graduated in 1956 to become teachers. He taught at Bogota High School, and then at Tenafly High School, where he taught History, English, and Social Studies for 42 years, retiring in 2001. He was recognized with the Distinguished Teacher Award twice, a rare honor. He coached many winning seasons of track and cross country from 1960-2002. “Go get ‘em, Tigers!” As a longtime member of the Cresskill Congregational Church, Gordon served as a deacon and trustee, and was involved in charitable outreach. He was a passionate fan of the Mets and sports in general. He also loved bluegrass music, the theater, travel, and spending time with his family at the Jersey shore. He was an active member of the Activities Club in Glen Rock. He was fond of crossword puzzles and really terrible puns. He enjoyed trivia and was a great conversationalist. Gordon is survived by his wife of 67 years, Edith, and his sister Elizabeth Ann Koos. His brother Walter passed away in 1999. He is also survived by children Eric (KC Cress), Jennifer (John Cooper), and Karen (Jeff Dean). He was a loving grandfather to Rachel Dean, Theodore Dean (Emerantienne), Sarah Dean, Elizabeth States (Owen), Seth Dean, Jacqueline Cooper, Lydia Dean, Susanna Dean, Caleb Dean, and Mary Dean. His great-grandchildren are Micah and Genesis Dean. A memorial service will be held at the Congregational Church in Cresskill on Saturday, April 15th at 1:00 pm. Calling hours at Barrett Leber Funeral Home in Tenafly will be from 4:00-7:00 on Friday, April 14th. Donations in his memory to fund scholarships for future teachers may be made to the Tenafly Education Association Philanthropic Fund, attn. Leigh Barker, THS, 19 Columbus Ave. Tenafly, NJ, 07670 or Donations to the Cresskill Congregational Church, 85 Union Ave, Cresskill, NJ, 07626.

Gordon Johnson Wallace

March 21, 2023