Wallace C. Mckenzie, Jr.

Wallace C. McKenzie, Jr. was born in Alexandria, Louisiana on June 16, 1928, to Wallace C. McKenzie, Sr. and Ethel Teddlie McKenzie.  He died on February 1, 2023, at his home in Baton Rouge with his daughter at his side.  The eldest of four children, Wallace was reared in a loving home in Pineville, Louisiana with his two sisters, Lillian and Grace, and his brother, David.  Upon graduation from Bolton High School in Alexandria, he attended Louisiana College in Pineville, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Theory in 1949.  He next earned a Master of Arts degree in Composition from the University of Iowa.  While attending Louisiana College, Wallace met and fell in love with a fellow student, the former Elaine Lamb of Baton Rouge.  They married in 1951 in San Antonio during Wallace’s military service with the U.S. Air Force.  Upon completion of his military service, Elaine and Wallace moved to Denton, Texas where Wallace completed a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Musicology at North Texas State College, now the University of North Texas.  Wallace enjoyed a long career in academia, beginning at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary where he taught music theory and composition.  Elaine and Wallace enjoyed their time in New Orleans where they made many lifelong friends.  The McKenzies next spent four years in Plainview, Texas where Wallace was head of the Department of Music, and in addition to his teaching duties, Wallace directed the Treble Tones, a touring choir.  In 1968, Elaine and Wallace moved to Baton Rouge with their children, Charles Martin and Lesley, where Wallace began his 29-year tenure at Louisiana State University.  While at LSU, Wallace taught musicology, founded, and directed the Collegium Musicum, and served for six years as Associate Dean of the Department of Music.  Many former students remember him as a great teacher, mentor, and friend.  Wallace was a true Renaissance man whose talents and interests were extensive.  In addition to teaching, Wallace composed works for voice, chorus, chamber ensembles, historical instruments, electronic tape, and orchestra.  His composition, “Baton Rouge Roux,” was performed by the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Timothy Muffitt, to open one of its Masterworks orchestral performances.  Following retirement, Wallace and Elaine enjoyed traveling, including extended stays in south Florida and northwest Georgia where Wallace was a visiting professor.  They sang for many years with the Baton Rouge Symphony Chorus, including a memorable performance in 2004 in Carnegie Hall.  Their daughter, Lesley, who was then living in California joined them in New York for a splendid adventure filled with music, dancing, and sightseeing.  Elaine and Wallace were honored as Choristers of the Year in 2006-2007.  For over 50 years, they were active members of the choir at Broadmoor Baptist Church, participating in Sunday services and musical productions.  Wallace sang in an all-male quartet, which brought him great fulfillment on a personal as well as a musical level.  The quartet’s repertoire was varied, and Wallace would arrange the music to fit its needs, depending on whether it was performing at Broadmoor Baptist or at community events. Perhaps most surprisingly to his fellow academics, following retirement, Wallace became employed by a local dealership and sold cars, following in his father’s footsteps.  His fascination with car sales did not last long, but his longtime interest in sports and antique cars lasted until his death.  He was known for driving to and from class or running errands with his children in his Karmann Ghia and later his Triumph TR6 and, more recently, driving his 1941 Dodge to car shows and movie sets.  Recently, Wallace expressed his great pleasure in listening to his daughter, Lesley practice picking her banjo in evenings at their home.  Wallace was preceded in death by his parents; his sisters, Lillian McKenzie and Grace Craig; his wife, Elaine Lamb McKenzie; and his beloved son, Charles Martin McKenzie.  His is survived by his daughter, Lesley McKenzie, and her children, Emily and Phoebe Chamberlin and Daphne Powers; his nephews, John and Howard Craig; his brother, David McKenzie, his wife Janet, and their children, Sean and Andrea McKenzie; and his niece, Debbie Lamb.  Visitation will be held in the sanctuary at Broadmoor Baptist Church, 9755 Goodwood Boulevard, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Thursday, February 9, 2023, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.  A memorial service will be held at 6:30 p.m.