Ralph David Wallis

Ralph David Wallis was born on Aug. 7, 1926, in Homer, La., the youngest of three children born to Charles Bertran Wallis and Gertrude Goldsmith Wallis. The family moved to southern Arkansas when he was an infant and he grew up there during the Great Depression. As a youth, he liked tinkering with radios and building them from mail-order kits. His mother died when he was a teenager; and in 1943, at age 16, he graduated from El Dorado High School, where he played tuba in the high school band. At age 17, he enrolled at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, where he helped run the campus radio station. But more importantly, JBU is where he met the love of his life, Margaret (Peggy) Nolen. After three semesters in college, Ralph was drafted into the Army, and he and Peggy decided to marry at age 18, before he reported to basic training. While he was in training to become a B-17 radio operator the war ended and, with Peggy expecting their first child, he was shipped overseas as part of the Army of Occupation in Germany. Upon arriving in Europe, Ralph was assigned to the Armed Forces Radio Service and helped operate a radio station from the top floor of the opera house in Wiesbaden. He returned to the U.S. and was discharged from the Army, whereupon he saw his 6-month-old firstborn son for the first time. Ralph and Peggy bought a little house in Tulsa using his VA benefits where he got a job in sales at the Tulsa Paper Company. A second son was born; then in 1950, Ralph was recalled into the Air Force during the Korean War, serving stateside in San Antonio. After stateside, he returned to his previous job with Tulsa Paper, his employer for almost 20 years. A daughter was born and Ralph moved his family to Bartlesville, Okla., to be closer to his customers. During these years Ralph provided for his family, served as a church elder and president of the local Lions Club, all the while enjoying his CB radios, police scanners and weather radios. Ralph was a radio guy. He loved his wife and taught his children to love God, family and their country. In 1968, Ralph made a career change by moving his household to Northwest Arkansas where he became a salesman for Cooper Communities in Bella Vista, eventually rising to the position of broker. Ralph could sell anything. He put his offspring through college, vo-tech school and saw his two sons serve in the Armed Forces. His daughter began a career with the Federal government. He bought Peggy a beautiful home in Bentonville where he was active in Lions Club, Arkansas Board of Realtors, First Presbyterian Church, served as a county elections official and was proud of Peggy's career with the State of Arkansas. They enjoyed 42 years in Arkansas with friends, family, work and church. Ralph suffered a stroke in late 2009, and lived out his remaining years in a skilled nursing facilities, first in Arkansas and then later in Tulsa, always with Peggy nearby. Ralph Wallis, 86, passed away on July 16, 2013, forever loved as a son, brother, uncle, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend. Ralph was preceded in death by his parents, one brother and one sister. Ralph is survived by his wife of 68 years, Margaret "Peggy" Nolen Wallis; two sons, R. David Wallis Jr. and wife, Bonnie Fox Wallis, of Fayetteville, Ga., and Storm Nolen Wallis and wife, Marsha, and their son, William, of Inola, Okla.; daughter, Elizabeth "Libby" Susan Russell and husband, Bud, of Tulsa, Okla.; grandson, Jason Wallis of Corvallis, Ore.; granddaughter, Jennifer Hart of Peachtree City, Ga.; five great-grandchildren; and numerous relatives to whom he is "Uncle Ralph." A Masonic service was held at the Sand Springs, Okla., Masonic Lodge on July 18, honoring his service as a 32nd degree mason. A memorial service celebrating Ralph's life will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 25, at the First Presbyterian Church in Bentonville, Ark., reception following. Afterwards the family will gather in the church chapel for inurnment in the church's columbarium. Memorials may be made to Bentonville Noon Lions Club, c/o Marv Mickelson, treasurer, 6 Rayburn Drive, Bella Vista, AR 72714. Arrangements have been entrusted to Stockdale-Moody Funeral Services of Rogers. Words of comfort may be expressed or memories shared at stockdalefuneral.com.