In loving memory of Claudia Alice Wallace - Obituary Baldwin Brothers

Obituary

Claudia Alice Wallace, 64, of Ocala, Florida, passed away on Tuesday, May 29, 2018. Claudia was born on January 30, 1954 in Brooklyn, New York to Ferdinand and Bertha Elzenbeck. All her life, Claudia was known for being undeniably devoted to her family, the very glue that held everyone together, particularly to her sons, Matthew and Timothy. The quintessential “Den Mother”, her dedication to young people far surpassed her role as Troop Leader to Boy Scout Troop 172 and being the kind of mother who sticks with her child’s love of Tae Kwon Do through years of traveling and competing. Her house was always open to her sons’ friends, forever having a stock-piled pantry and a fridge full of milk, ice cream and a ready ear, these kids in turn became extensions of her family. Claudia was the conduit for communication among the rest of the family, even with former in-laws. She was a ringleader when it came to hosting family events, holiday dinners being her forte, a tradition she passed down to her sons over the years. But Easter always belonged to Claudia. Basically, she was Facebook before social media ever existed, keeping her family connected over time and distance.

Claudia was very passionate about music, classic rock particularly, and was most fond of Van Halen, ZZ Top, Bon Jovi and of course, Billy Idol. Music played throughout her house day and night, bringing that much more warmth and energy to the home. Also, Claudia was an avid collector of all things turtle, of the living or knick-knack variety, so much in fact that she earned the moniker, “The Turtle Lady”. She was also known as being infinitely fair. One of her sons’ favorite stories is about “The Two Cars”. An infamously poor reverse-driver, Claudia backed into first Matthew’s Mustang one day, causing a great deal of cosmetic damage. It was not long after that first collision, that she backed into Timothy’s Mustang only a week after he first got it. The damage was nearly identical. Fair is fair though, and both sons agree that the one person you can never get mad at for hitting your car is your very own mother.

Claudia is predeceased by her parents, Ferdinand Elzbeck and Bertha Elbeck (Hunter).

She is survived by: Her sons Matthew Laszaic (Melissa) and Timothy Wallace (Whitney). In addition to many family members and friends.

A service for Claudia will be held on Saturday, June 30, 2018 11:00am-1:00pm. Service for Claudia will start at 12:00pm.

Glen Haven Memorial Park

2300 Temple Dr. Winter Park, FL 32789

A reception will follow to allow family and friends to gather and celebrate Claudia’s life. Information will be available at the service.