Robert ("Bob"/"Wally") Edward Wallace of Dieppe, N.B. passed away on Jan. 24, 2026 surrounded by his loving family after a short battle with cancer, at the age of 79.

Born in Moncton, N.B., he was the son of the late Nellie (MacDonald) and Harry Wallace.

He will be sadly missed and forever loved and remembered by his wife Sandra, his son Jeff, his daughter Kim, his brother Harry (Laverna), his five grandchildren Deklan, Kaleb, Tristan, Nicholas and Adam, his greatgrandchildren, as well as nieces, nephews and cousins. 

He was predeceased by his daughter Krista and his sister Brenda.

Bob had a lifelong interest in harness racing. Before the age of 10, he and his good friend Bob Roach would go watch the races in Dieppe, walking or hitchhiking from the west end if they weren’t able to get a ride with his father. In 1978, his brother Harry got him involved as an owner, trainer and driver. And that year is when he me Sandra and started their family. He drove from 1978-1985 with 160 career starts, 17 wins, 22 second place finishes and 20 thirds, with a whopping career earnings of $6,352. He would eventually give up his silks and made his way to the Judge’s Stand at Champlain Raceway from 1984 to 1991. At that point, he served as a member of the Appeal Board for the Maritime Provinces Harness Racing Commission and then went on to become a Senior Judge with the Commission.

During the next 25 years, he acted as an official at every racetrack in the Maritimes, becoming one of the most respected Judges in the region for his professionalism, fairness, attention to detail, calm demeanour, but above all, a sincere gentleman. He was well liked and respected not only by industry participants but other officials with whom he worked. One of his most endearing qualities was his willingness to mentor new officials. The respect that he received from his fellow officials was demonstrated when he was voted as MPHRC Official of The Year by his peers in 2017.

In addition to the respect from his peers, Bob was a person who was always willing to assist the Commission in any way whether it be in rule development, training sessions or giving his time and support to the annual Stretch Drive Golf Tournament. The industry as a whole, but especially his colleagues, will certainly miss his knowledge, understanding and support.

In addition to harness racing, Bob's passions included fishing, golf, basketball and teaching.

Bob was graduate of Harrison Trimble High School and Husson College in Maine. He worked as a teacher at Harrison Trimble High School for 30 years (1971-2002) and in some of those years he was a JV Boys and Senior Girls Basketball coach.

As per his wishes, family and friends are invited to Fergusons Funeral Home, located at 1657 Mountain Road in Moncton, N.B., for a Celebration of Bob’s Life on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. A private burial will take place at Life Celebration Green Cemetery, Renaud Mills, N.B. at a later date.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Bob Wallace.