Wallace Wilford Kale Jr. of Williamsburg, a well-known Virginia newspaper journalist, author, and a retired state agency official, who enjoyed portraying Santa Claus and serving in many public service posts in the area, died at home on Monday, May 18, 2026. He was 81 years old.
Born and raised in Charlotte, N.C., to the late Wallace Wilford Kale Sr. and Martha Genevieve Irwin Kale, Wilford initially came to Virginia in 1962 to attend the College of William and Mary, where he was considered an “unofficial historian” of the College for many years. Through the years, he wrote a trilogy of William and Mary history volumes: “Hark Upon the Gale–An Illustrated History of the College of William and Mary”; “Goal to Goal–100 Seasons of Football at William and Mary”; and “From Student to Warrior–A Military History of the College of William and Mary.”
Wilford began his newspaper career in the sports department of the Charlotte Observer and later was a bureau chief and senior writer for the Richmond Times-Dispatch for more than 25 years. Kale started the public affairs/public relations office at the Virginia Marine Resources Commission in 1994 and retired in 2007 as senior staff advisor on the agency’s management team. He returned to journalism in 2020 as a freelancer for the Virginia Gazette, covering a variety of local issues, primarily business-related stories. For seven years, he also authored a bi-weekly book column, “Kale on Books,” which was featured in several local newspapers, including the Gloucester-Mathews Gazette-Journal. While a journalist, he began volunteering in public service, serving on the Regional Health Service Board for the Virginia Peninsula (1974-1976) and the Williamsburg-James City County Bicentennial Committee (1973-1977). Kale served a brief nine-month stint, appointed by three Circuit Court Judges, as the Jamestown District representative on the James City County Board of Supervisors (2012). He also served on the James City County Planning Commission (1998-2006) and the Williamsburg Regional Library Board of Trustees (2013-17).
Journalism was always his love, whether he was actively employed, working with other journalists in public affairs positions, lecturing to college students, or serving on journalism boards. A member of the Society of Professional Journalists for more than 50 years, he served as an officer of the Richmond Chapter three times, including as president in 1983-1984. He was a member of the Society’s national board (1985-1990). In 1984, he was one of the founders of the Richmond (later Virginia) SPJ-SDX Educational Foundation and raised funds to support the presentation of annual scholarships/internships to college journalism students. He served as foundation board president for more than 30 years. The Richmond SPJ Chapter recognized him in 2009 with its Distinguished Service Award.
He also supported college journalists and served as the Society for Collegiate Journalists’ national president (1979-1981). He was an advisor to the William and Mary SCJ Chapter from 1977 to 1985, served as a journalist-in-residence on many campuses, and lectured at the College Press Convention in New York City for 11 years and at the Associated Collegiate Press annual convention for eight years. A collegiate history major, Kale’s passion was research even more than writing, and he especially delighted in finding new historical items amid the more than 325-year history of William and Mary. Among his research revelations were materials that changed the numbering of William and Mary presidents; the fact that James Monroe returned to the College to study in 1779; the first list of Rectors of the College; the first alumnus to die in battle in the French and Indian War; and a Union soldier’s diary recounting his time at William and Mary as a prisoner of war in May 1862. His research beyond William and Mary resulted in the compilation and editing of several other books: “Johnny Walker, His Success, His Vision and his Dreams,” “Jamestown’s Story–Act One of the American Dream,” and “Hampton in the Bygone Days” (both which he edited from material written by Parke Rouse Jr.;), and “A Very Virginia Christmas,” which won a national award from Independent Publishers for the best holiday book in 2012. In 1992, he wrote the narrative for “Traditions, Myths and Memories–Celebrating the Tercentenary of the College of William and Mary in Virginia,” which won the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education’s First Place publications award in the Southeastern District.
An alumnus of William and Mary, Kale graduated from Park College (now University) in 1971 with a degree in history. He received a Master of Philosophy degree in history in 2012 from the University of Leicester, England. He served two terms on the Park University Board of Trustees, 1988-1989 and 2012-2015. He was a recipient of the Marlowe Sherwood Service Award at Park in 1985 and the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2011. He won the Alumni Medallion for Service and Loyalty from the William and Mary Society of the Alumni in 1987. Wilford won the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Journalism Award for the most comprehensive agriculture coverage in Virginia in 1992 and 1993 and several other awards from the Virginia Press Association. He was named Journalist of the Year in 1993 by the Virginia Agri-Business Council. Since returning to the field, he won numerous first-place awards from the Virginia Press Association over several years.
He was a member of the Pulaski Club, Royal Society of Saint George, Gloucestershire (England) Chapter, Order of Saint Joachim, Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, Corps of Saint Lazare International, Sons of the American Revolution, and the Williamsburg Presbyterian Church. Wilford was a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam, 1969-1970, and received the Army Commendation Medal and the Bronze Star. In addition to his parents, son, David Irwin Kale, and a brother, Walter Franklin Kale, preceded him in death. He is survived by his wife, Kelly Hasty Kale; a daughter, Anne-Evan Kale Williams (Jeremiah), and grandson, Franklin Douglas Williams IV of Springfield, Ohio; sons, Walker Wilford Kale of Ebensburg, Pa., and John Carter Kale of Philadelphia, Pa.; a sister, Cynthia Kale Rice (James) of Atlanta, Ga. and Boone, N.C., a niece and two nephews, and many loving cousins.
A funeral service will be held at Williamsburg Presbyterian Church, 215 Richmond Road, Williamsburg, Va. 23185, on Thursday, May 28, 2026, at 12 p.m., conducted by the Rev. Dr. John E. Morgan.
The interment will be private. To honor his passion for education, memorial contributions can be made to the Virginia SPJ/SDX Educational Foundation, c/o Brian H. Eckert, VSSEF Treasurer, 2701 River Oaks Drive, Midlothian, Va. 23113.
Services under the direction of Hogg Funeral Home.