Wallace Lee “Wally” Hickson (1936-2025), age 88, passed away peacefully on Dec. 1, 2025, in Caldwell.
Wallace was born in College Station and graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School in Bryan.
After graduation, Wallace joined the Army and served with distinction from 1956 to 1958, in the infantry and the Army Rifle Corps, where he was awarded The Certificate of Outstanding Marksmanship on October 24, 1958. When he returned from serving in Germany, he began dating Peggy. They married on December, 19, 1958. Wallace began working for General Telephone & Electric after the Army. He worked for GTE for 38 years, serving as a telephone repairman and troubleshooter. Even after he retired, Wallace continued to repair phone lines for friends in and around Caldwell.
Wallace had three hobbies: Quarter Horses, fast pitch softball and deer hunting.
He trained, rode and competed in Quarter Horse events for over 50 years.
Wallace, known as “Wally,” was also a fiercely competitive pitcher in the area’s men’s fast pitch softball community, known for a curve ball that looked like it was rolling off a table and a rise ball that defied gravity.
When age prevented him from playing softball, Mr. Wally umpired for the Caldwell Youth Baseball League. Wallace loved working with the young baseball players. He saw his role as umpire, teacher and coach.
And when fall came, Wallace became focused on deer hunting. He didn’t just hunt deer. He studied white-tail deer. Wallace became a self-taught expert on deer: their movements, their growth and the secret to getting “the big one.”
Wallace is survived by daughter, Laura (Brad); son, Brian (Lori); sister, Cynthia “Cindy”; granddaughters, Audrey and Claire; and great-grandson, Graham. He was preceded in death by wife, Peggy Jo (Bolton) Hickson; brothers, Joe, Orville, William “Pat” and Johnny Hickson; sister, Barbara Sue Stapp; and parents, Johnie and Desdia (Sanders) Hickson.
A graveside service was held on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. in Wheelock.
A Celebration of Life was held at the Burleson County Cowboy Church on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, at 3:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Burleson County Cowboy Church 300 County Road 169, Caldwell, Texas 77836 or to Caldwell Youth Baseball, ℅ Jackie Charanza 209 East Fawn, Caldwell, Texas 77836.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Strickland Funeral Home. They invite you to visit their website at www.stricklandfuneralhomes. com and sign the online register book.