John W. Wallace, Jr.

PAXTON – John W. Wallace, Jr., 71, passed away unexpectedly at home on Friday, May 5, 2023. Born in Boston and raised in Milton, John was the son of the late John W. and Ellen (O’Leary) Wallace and lived the last 39 years in Paxton.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 45 years, Patricia “Trish” (Savage) Wallace; two sons, Shaun R. Wallace of Worcester and Matthew J. Wallace of Paxton; a brother, Mark F. Wallace of Falmouth; three sisters, Ellen Nylen of Westwood, Denise Petitti of Milton and Deirdre Karle of Boston; and his two loyal companions, Moose and Honeybee.

After graduating from Milton High School and attending college, John joined the family restaurant business Lum’s Restaurants, located in West Roxbury. In 1975, John’s family opened Lum’s Restaurant on West Boylston Street in Worcester where he would meet his wife Trish Savage of Holden. Changing the name from Lum’s they operated as Barbers Crossing until 2004 in Worcester. With his wife Trish, John successfully operated the Worcester location for over twenty-five years and together they went on to open two more restaurants in Sterling in 1995 and Leicester in 2003.

John enjoyed competitive boxing in his youth and was a huge fan of boxing world hall of famer and middleweight champion, “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler. In his spare time, John looked forward to spending time at home, kicking up his feet, and watching his favorite westerns on television including the hit series, Bonanza.

Relatives and friends are invited to visit with John’s family from 4 to 7 pm on Wednesday, May 17, at Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main St., Holden. John will be laid to rest privately in Mooreland Cemetery in Paxton. To share a memory or offer a condolence, please visit the "Tribute Wall" on this page.