ATHENS, Tenn. (WTVF) — Larry Wallace, the only person to ever head both the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, will be laid to rest on Thursday.
Wallace died on August 6 after a battle with cancer at the age of 77. He is described as a great man who loved to serve our state and a man of integrity who wanted to see things get better every day.
Visitation will begin at 11 a.m. on Thursday at the First Baptist Church, 305 Ingleside Ave. in Athens. The funeral service will be held at 2 p.m., followed by interment at Pond Hill Cemetery in Niota.
Wallace began his career with the Athens Police Department back in 1964 before taking on positions like state trooper and becoming McMinn County sheriff, the head of the TBI and Tennessee Highway Patrol.
Some notable things he accomplished in his career include helping develop the TBI Most Wanted program. He also oversaw the construction of the TBI's office.
Wallace also pushed for justice in the 2001 death of a 15-month-old Maury County boy, Jeffrey Kelton Skaggs. Christopher Goodwin was eventually convicted back in 2020.