Wallace Sturdivant

Wallace C. Sturdivant, age 70, passed away on Thursday, July 2, 2026 at his home in Grafton, ND.

Wallace was born on September 8, 1955 in Corpus Christi, TX to the late Wallace L. and Dolores (Carney) Sturdivant. He was raised in a military family and lived in Hawaii, Florida, and settling in Ohio. Wallace graduated from Springfield Township High School in Ohio, with the class of 1973. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the United States Airforce. He spent a year in Iceland, before being stationed in Grand Forks, ND. Wallace was a career airplane mechanic. He served the AirForce for 20 years, honorably retiring in May 1994.

Wallace was united in marriage to Mary Langowski in Grafton on April 16, 1987. They settled in Grand Forks and later relocated to Ohio. Wallace and Mary returned to North Dakota in December 2010. They lived in Fargo, where Wallace worked for the local YMCA. He trained for marathons for many years, running in races in Duluth, Detroit Lakes, Niagara Falls, Cleveland, and Myrtle Beach, just to name a few. When he had to retire from running, he continued to lift weights and workout daily.

Wallace loved engines, whether his rebuilt 1965 Ford Mustang, his “Fast and Furious” Toyota Supra, or a multitude of motorcycles through the years. A highlight of his life was riding his motorcycle out to Sturgis with his brother-in-law, Lester, in 2023. He loved to “tinker” in the garage, listen to classic rock, and collect. He had a special vinyl collection of around 1000 records and a Nike Air Jordan’s collection, which was the envy of the grandchildren. He loved family time with his children and grandchildren; watching sports, especially when his children and grandchildren were playing and watching Marvel movies.

Wallace will be dearly missed by his wife Mary, Grafton, ND; children: Lisa Chapman, Grafton, ND, Kristi (Jamie) Ganssle, Crystal, ND, Jeremy Chapman, Fargo, ND; Nicole Sturdivant, Grafton, ND, and Eric (Natalie) Sturdivant, West Fargo, ND; grandchildren: Thomas (Caroline), Jillian (Jace), Shanna (Aaron), Vada, Kami Jo, Noah (Kenzie), Cayden, and Ben; great grandchildren: Zari, Dru, Nora, Evelyn, Dominic, Tucker, Edwin, Cecil and baby boy Brown;

siblings: Mari (Jeff) Knapp, Lilli (Blaine) White, and Mark Sturdivant and many nieces and nephews survive. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Elizabeth Sturdivant, and nephew Peter Sturdivant.

Memorial services will be on Thursday, July 9, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. at Tollefson Funeral Home of Grafton, ND. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. A Celebration of Life will be held at Cashel Shelter, Lestikow Park in Grafton, Thursday following the memorial. Military Rites will be following the service, provided by the US Airforce Honor Guard and American Legion Post 41. Interment will be at the Fargo National Cemetery in Harwood, ND. The service will be livestreamed via Tollefson Funeral Home website.