Obituary of Joel Barry Wallace

Joel Barry Wallace, 62, a resident of Las Vegas for 18 years, passed away on Saturday, October 31, 2015. Joel was born in Detroit, Mich., on Nov. 4, 1952, and was a member of Young Israel Synagogue. He graduated from Oak Park High School in 1970 and went on to study at Wayne State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Joel was self employed as an auditor and owner of his own tax business in Michigan. In 1997, he married his wife Dana and they started a new adventure by moving across the country to Las Vegas, Nev. He was employed full-time as a customer-service representative in the Summerlin office of Expedia Inc., where he worked for about 16 years, and on the weekends was usually busy with his second job as a massage therapist. In a complex world, Joel found beauty in the simple things, whether it was a good baseball or football game, or spending time with his beloved family. He had a strong connection to his faith and loved taking his girls to Temple, particularly during the Jewish holy days. Joel was incredibly kind, optimistic, looked for the good in everyone, and his whimsical stories and sense of humor were punctuated by a twinkle in the eye that could only make the listener smile. He lived for his family and was tireless in his devotion, whether it was providing for them through an indefatigable work ethic, or tucking the girls in night after night and doing everything he could to help around the house. Last spring, he was diagnosed with cancer and faced his battle privately and with great courage. He is survived by his wife, Dana; two daughters, Brooke and Brianna; brother, Ted; sister, Rhoda; and several cousins. He was predeceased by his mother and father, Evelyn and David Wallace.