Lu Wallace

Lu Wallace, born in the small town of Driggs, Idaho, on September 7, 1932, passed on April 5, 2026, at 93. She led an admirable and valuable life. One of stunning adventure and achievement, but most of all as a woman of excellence. The greatness she shared with the world, Lu didn’t flaunt. She was just herself, a lady full of love, honesty, and humility. She smiled easily and laughed often.

Her generous nature and strong sense of dedication and ethics allowed Lu to share her life broadly with her many nieces and nephews, students, and colleagues. Each summer, her lifelong friends and roommates, Elaine Michaelis and Mary Gay Hatch, joined her in hosting nieces and nephews at a Bear Lake cabin. This friendship expanded her count of nieces and nephews and the number of lives she touched. Relatives and friends were always welcome in their home. Whether hosting people, founding the first women’s gymnastics team at BYU in 1964, coaching it for several years, helping to write the national gymnastics rules, training, or officiating, sitting on the NCAA Volleyball Rules Committee, Lu shared her talents freely, building the world of women’s sports and showing young women how to lead a successful life.

Chatting with Lu over dinner, you’d never guess she was Prom Queen in her junior year of high school, played the baritone in band, or was a world traveler. From 35 states in one vacation with friends, the Eastern states with family, and traveling with sports teams throughout Mexico, Japan, the Holy Land, Europe, and then repeated much of the US and Europe as she crisscrossed the globe.

She received a bachelor's degree in Physical Education from Utah State and a master’s degree from Washington State. After teaching for a few years in high school, she began working at BYU and held various positions there until she retired. In retirement, Lu spent an additional several years writing the 100 Years of Women’s Sports at Brigham Young University. When asked later about how she began collecting the statistics and records of players and teams many years before, she only replied, “Someone had to do it, so I did.” She expressed this sentiment repeatedly throughout her life.

A few special quotes about Lu’s professional life printed in the BYU Daily Universe, also carried in the Provo Daily Herald, just prior to her retirement sums up an amazing career as, “…chief architect behind BYU’s women’s sports gaining national prominence since 1972 when Title IX began its impact on intercollegiate athletics. She has been the administrator of nine sports programs, all placed in the top 15 in the nation, several of them in the top five.” This tiny little lady led dozens of athletes to All-American, national academic awards and scholarships, and eight won national individual titles.” President Rex E. Lee said, “The excellence of our women’s athletic program in recent years has been virtually synonymous with one person, Lu Wallace. She has contributed far more than fine athletes and winning teams. She has developed young women with character, integrity, and an appreciation of the important purposes of life.” The exceptional life Lu led left a significant mark on countless individuals.

Lu’s faith was evident in her daily living, career, and service as a lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She held numerous church callings, from teaching children to Relief Society instructor to Life Saving Training Program at Young Women’s Summer Camp, and more. When she saw a need, she never hesitated to serve. She also served as a temple worker for many years in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple, and spent many hours dedicated to family history research, name extraction, and indexing.

If you asked Lu what made her life successful, she wouldn’t hesitate to tell you about growing up milking cows and working in the potato fields with her family. She’d tell you one of her favorite dresses had yellow roses on a white background made by her mother out of flour sacks. She understood that genuine success wasn't about wealth or awards, but about being a servant leader who relied on her roots, family, and faith. Lu cared for her mother, Wilda, after her stroke from 1979 to 1995. Although she was the oldest of the trio of roommates, Lu cared for Elaine and Mary Gay in their final years, too. Another example of how Lu lived what she believed daily. Her parents, Wilda Buxton and William Howard Wallace, and her four siblings, Donald, Elen, Lora, and Wanda, preceded her in death.

Her family will remember her for the ginger snaps in the cookie jar, the See’s chocolates, trips to Wendy’s for a Frosty, a wonderful sense of humor, but mostly for the love and service they received that changed their lives. She was once asked why her many awards were in a box in the basement. She simply replied, “Well, that’s where they belong.” To Lu, quiet service and humility were more important than any of those.

Lu’s family wishes to extend their heartfelt thanks to Dignity Hospice and Legacy House of Spanish Fork for their kind and loving care in her final days. In addition, special thanks to her Lakeview Ward friends and neighbors, with whom she served for over 60 years. Towards the end of her life, they watched over and cared for her, too.

Funeral services will be held at 11:30 on Friday, April 17, 2026, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 155 West 1600 South, Orem, with a visitation held that morning at the church from 10-11:15 a.m. prior to the services.  Interment will be on Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Driggs, Idaho.  

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the BYU Women's Gymnastics Team. Lu started the program and was the first coach. She continued to support them throughout her life. Link: https://donate.churchofjesuschrist.org/contribute/byu/athletics/gymnastics 

Condolences for the family may be expressed on this page.

For those unable to attend the services in person, you may view the Livestream HERE