Wallace “Mac” McCammon Stromberg closed the book on the final chapter of his life on New Year’s Day, 2026.

Mac was born August 11th, 1942, in West Point, New York, to Major General Woodrow Wilson Stromberg and Julia Marie (McCammon) Stromberg. After moving to his grandmother’s hometown of Wichita, KS, Mac’s entrepreneurial spirit was evident early. At just six years old, he sold donuts door-to-door to buy the latest Kid Colt comic books. He attended Wichita East High School until a “small misunderstanding” with a vice principal (because “nobody calls Mac Stromberg a liar”) led to an immediate transfer to Missouri Military Academy, where he graduated in 1960.

Mac attended Lawrence College, Wichita State, and the University of Oklahoma before enlisting in the US Army ahead of the draft for the Vietnam War. He served two tours in 1969 and 1971: first as a Second Lieutenant in the 11th Armoured Cavalry Regiment (attached to the Vietnamese Airborne), and later as Company Commander of Higher Headquarters Company, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne). After declining a third invitation to Vietnam, Mac began working alongside his stepfather at United Industries Incorporated in Wichita. On a business trip to California in 1981, Mac met the love of his life, Jill, and courted her back to Wichita, where they were married in 1983. In 1992, as president and owner, Mac relocated both the business and his family to Sterling, Kansas, where United Industries has designed, manufactured, and sold filtration systems for municipal swimming pools, water parks, hospitals, skyscrapers, and industrial cooling towers worldwide.

One of Mac’s greatest joys was serving his community. He sat on the boards of the Wichita YMCA, the vestries of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Lyons and St. James Episcopal Church in Wichita, the Sterling Carnegie Library, and Senator Jerry Moran’s Service Academy Selection Committee. Mac was a tireless champion of all things Sterling, never missing an Old-Fashioned Fourth of July, an opportunity to serve as the unofficial town greeter for new residents, or a chance to “shoot the breeze” with anyone who would lend an ear. He also never saw a classic car he didn’t admire, a big dog he didn’t love, or a book on history he didn’t want to read. Above all, he remained devoted, steadfast, and immensely proud of his family.

Mac is preceded in death by his parents Woodrow and Jacqueline Stromberg and Marie and Russel Beattie; as well as his beloved sister and brother-in-law, Joan and Richard Ewy. He is survived by his loving wife of 43 years, Jill; his 3 sons, Wallace (Kiley) of Weston, MO; Richard of Sterling, KS; and Joseph (Mackenzie) of Los Angeles, CA; and his grandchildren, Mac and Winston.

Visitation will be held Friday, January 23rd, from 5-7 pm at Birzer Funeral Home in Sterling. A funeral service will take place at the United Methodist Church in Sterling at 1 pm on Saturday, January 24th, followed by a graveside service at Sterling Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that monetary donations be made to the Sterling Free Public Library.