Résumé

Box maker, Sure-Seal Corporation, Los Angeles, CA, c. 1950. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Salt Lake, Salt Lake, Utah; Roll: 287; Page: 71; Enumeration District: 30-38, accessed 02/12/2025.)

Principal, John G. Wallis, Los Angeles, CA, c. 1970. In 1970, Wallis had a professional address of 15456 Ventura Boulevard, Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, CA. (See "Wallis, John Gary," American Architects Directory 3rd Edition, 1970, John F. Gane, editor, [New York: R.R. Bowker Company, 1970], p. 960.)

Partner, Weber-Wallis Associates, Los Angeles, CA, c. 1984.

Professional Activities

Member, American Institute of Architects (AIA), Southern CA Chapter, 1970- .

Member, American Institute of Decorators (AID), Los Angeles Chapter, c. 1971.

Relocation

John Gary Wallis was born, like four of the five other members of his immediate family, in WY. The 1940 US Census indicated that John resided in Cheyenne, WY, on 04/01/1935. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Murray, Salt Lake, Utah; Roll: m-t0627-04216; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 18-53, accessed 02/11/2025.) The family attended the Church of Latter Day Saints and relocated to Salt Lake City, UT, between 1935 and 1940.

In 1940, John lived with his parents and sister Marlene in a rented house at 290 Vine Street in Salt Lake City. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Murray, Salt Lake, Utah; Roll: m-t0627-04216; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 18-53, accessed 02/11/2025.)

The family continued to live in Salt Lake City in 1950, dwelling at 1080 South 15th Street East in the Yalecrest neighborhood. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Salt Lake, Salt Lake, Utah; Roll: 287; Page: 71; Enumeration District: 30-38, accessed 02/12/2025.)

As a student in Salt Lake City, UT in 1960, Wallis and his wife lived at 648 East 1st Street South, Apartment #8. (See Salt Lake City, Utah, City Directory, 1960, p. 1248.)

Marta and John Wallis lived at 15237 Greenleaf Street in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, CA, on 02/10/1971, at the time she began the US naturalization process.

An address of 2010 Linden Avenue in Los Angeles's Venice neighborhood has also been associated with Wallis between 1970 and 2008. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information: U.S., Index to Public Records, 1994-2019 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2020, accessed 02/12/2025.)

By 1984, Wallis and his wife Gretchen had an address of 716 Haverford Avenue in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, CA. This residence was burned in the Pacific Palisades Fires of (See Ancestry.com, Source Information: U.S., Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010, accessed 02/12/2025.)

In later years, Wallis also may have had a dwelling at 52-281 Makapala Rd, Kapaau, HI, during the early 2000s. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information: U.S., Index to Public Records, 1994-2019 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2020, accessed 02/12/2025.)

Parents

His father Marvin Ellsworth Wallis (born 10/25/1911 in Laramie, WY-d. 02/21/2001 in Santa Barbara, CA) managed a Salt Lake City dairy in 1940. By 1949, he had become President of the Sure-Seal Corporation, a manufacturer of wax products. (See Salt Lake City, Utah, City Directory, 1949, p. 1086.)

Narvin married Elda Kennington (born 01/15/1912 in Afton, WY-d. 10/13/1978 in Bountiful, UT) on 11/15/1932 in WY. Elda managed the Wallis household that included three children. She divorced Marvin Wallis before 1959 and married Dr. Neil Warren Brough (1899-1983) on 07/31/1959.

John had two sisters: Marlene Wallis Miner (born 08/1933 in WY) and Margaret Isabelle Wallis Mayer (born 07/17/1942). Margaret wed Edward Mayer (born c. 12/23/1936) on 09/21/1963 in Salt Lake County, UT. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. Utah, U.S., Select Marriage Index, 1887-1985 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015, accessed 02/10/2026.)

Marlene married Ralph Lorenzo Eddington Miner (born 09/01/1930-d. 12/02/1994) in Salt Lake City, UT, on 06/22/1955. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. Utah, U.S., Select Marriage Index, 1887-1985 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015, accessed 02/12/2025.)

Margaret wed Edward H. Mayer (born c. 12/1936) on 09/21/1963 in Salt Lake City, UT. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. Utah, U.S., Select Marriage Index, 1887-1985 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015, accessed 02/12/2025.)

Spouse

Wallis married at least twice during his life. He first wed Marta Sonia Lopez Lespada (born 10/29/1934 in Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina-d. 2020) on 12/28/1959 in Salt Lake City, UT. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. Utah, U.S., Select Marriage Index, 1887-1985 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015, accessed 02/11/2025.) She entered the US legally on 09/17/1959. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at Riverside; Riverside, California; Petitions For Naturalization, U.s. District Court For the Central District of California (Los Angeles), 1940-1991; NAI Number: 594890; Record Group Title: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009; Record Group Number: 21, accessed 02/11/2025.) Marta was the second youngest child (of five) had by Rafael Lopez Perez (1896-1966) and Luisa Emilia Lespada (1899-1980). (See FamilySearch.org, "Nydia Teresa Lopez Lespada," accessed 02/10/2026.)

In 1960, Marta worked at the Latter Day Saints' Hospital in Salt Lake City. (See Salt Lake City, Utah, City Directory, 1960, p. 1248.)

Marta Wallis was made a naturalized US citizen on 02/21/1971 in US District Court in Los Angeles, CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC, USA; Petitions For Naturalization, U.s. District Court For the Central District of California (Los Angeles), 1940-1991; NAI Number: 594890; Record Group Title: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009; Record Group Number: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009, accessed 02/10/2026.)

They divorced in 05/1976 in Los Angeles County, CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. California, U.S., Divorce Index, 1966-1984 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007, accessed 02/11/2025.)

On 09/17/1977, he married Gretchen Elaine Miller (born 07/12/1941 in Seattle, WA-d. 01/18/2022 in CA) in Los Angeles County, CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. California, U.S., Marriage Index, 1960-1985 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007, accessed 02/10/2026.)

Children

In 1971, Marta Wallis reported on her naturalization form as having had four children. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at Riverside; Riverside, California; Petitions For Naturalization, U.s. District Court For the Central District of California (Los Angeles), 1940-1991; NAI Number: 594890; Record Group Title: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009; Record Group Number: 21, accessed 02/11/2025.)

John Wallis had one son Justin Miller Wallis (born with Gretchen Miller.