ALTHEA WALLACE (Eccles)  
Althea Wallace (Eccles), aged 81, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on October 15, 2018 after a tough fight with frontal lobal dementia. Althea was born on December 31, 1936 in Washington, D.C. to Althea and Byron Eccles. She married her husband Robert after her graduation from the University of Maryland in 1958. She is survived by her devoted husband and her children: Donna Offterdinger (Ed) of Bethesda, MD; Debra Hertz (John) of Darien, CT; Eileen Wallace (James Benbow) of Alexandria, VA; Elsa Schafer (Morgan) of Portland, ME; Dan Dang (Julene) of Wheaton, MD, and; Bruce Wallace (Elizabeth Golder) of Rockville, MD. She is also survived by her very special niece Therese Levitan, her brother James Eccles, 14 fabulous grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren (and one more who will be arriving in December), and many nieces and nephews.  During their 60-year marriage, Althea and Bob welcomed many foster children into their family. She raised all of her children with a strong belief that it is both an honor and a privilege to serve others. After her son Bruce was born in 1977, Althea became a tireless and formidable champion in the developmental disability community. She helped to create Potomac Community Resources and established the Faith & Light chapter at Our Lady of Mercy. In addition, she served on the board of Jubilee Association of Maryland and shared her talents and strong opinions with countless other organizations.  Above all, Althea loved her family, God, beautiful clothes and making rosaries (a long-lost art). We will miss her gracious and indomitable spirit! The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Arden Courts Kensington and JSSA Hospice and Transitions who provided such loving care and devotion over the past three years. Please join us for a celebration of her life on Saturday, November 24, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Mercy Church, Potomac, MD. In lieu of flowers, Althea would love if you would dress up a little fancier than usual and have dinner with a friend, visit someone who might be lonely, or just take time to make someone smile.