In Memory of BCWRT Co Founder Wally Rueckel

Link to Wally Rueckel Obituary

Testimonial: I was saddened this evening to hear of the death of Wally Rueckel.

Wally’s is not a name familiar to most folks in the Civil War

Community, but fewer people in the last fifteen years have had a

bigger impact on the Civil War roundtable community than Wally.

In 2010, Wally helped co–found the Brunswick Civil War

Roundtable in Southport, N.C., which has since grown to become the

nation’s largest. While that growth has been due to a team effort by a

lot of people over fifteen years, Wally played a key role. “The round

table has exploded in growth due largely Wally’s personality and

efforts to bring a quality product to the members,” roundtable

President John Butler told me. “He was always outgoing and very

engaging. Whether it was doing an impersonation of Lincoln or

greeting members with cookies as they waited in line to register for a

meeting, he always made everyone feel welcome.”

Wally’s efforts rippled out beyond Brunswick. He spearheaded an

effort to encourage roundtables across North Carolina to coordinate

on speakers, allowing them to share expenses and improve travel

efficiency for presenters. He also encouraged roundtables to partner in

other ways, such as working together on service projects and sharing

busses and expenses for field trips. That work, in turn, rippled out beyond

the Tar Heel State. In 2020,Mike Movius led a group of organizers from

around the country to

found the Civil War Roundtable Congress, an organization dedicated

to providing resources for roundtable management and leadership

development. Wally was one of those organizers.

“His depth of experience about organizational success, human

behavior, and the importance of teaching and learning about American

history was profound,” Mike told me. “Following his departure from

the Board of Directors, we named an annual award after him,

the Wallace L. Rueckel Innovation Award.”

Wally was one of those “hail fellow, well met” kinda guys, and I was

always glad to see him when I rolled into Southport to give a talk. He

would chaperone me around Hatch Auditorium like I was his prized

best friend—a practice of his with most speakers to make them feel

welcome as part of the Brunswick CWRT community. It helped

attendees feel welcome, too. Wally made a gracious host that way,

beaming all the while. “He was a mentor and good friend,” John Butler told me.

“He will be sorely missed.” Mike Movius echoed that sentiment. “Of course, he will

be sorely missed,” Mike said. I love that “of course.” It perfectly captured the depth of impact Wally

had on people. Of course he will be missed—a lot.

Wally “passed away quietly and at peace on Monday, November 24th

at the Lower Cape Fear Hospice Center in Bolivia, North Carolina,” the

Roundtable said in a statement released this evening. “In his final days,

he was surrounded by family and friends. To all who knew him and

loved him, he will dearly be missed.”  – Chris Mackowski