Mr. Wally Smith Beasley, Sr., retired Columbia businessman and civic leader, died Thursday, December 18, 2003 at Maury Regional Hospital.
Funeral services for Mr. Beasley will be conducted Tuesday, December 23, 2003 at 2:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church with The Reverend William W. Williamson, Judge Jimmy Matthews, and Wally Beasley, Jr. officiating. Burial will be in the Rose Hill Cemetery with military honors being provided by the Military Department of Tennessee, Tennessee State Guard, Major Marcus L. Taylor, Commanding. The family will receive condolences at the residence, Mercer Hall on Monday from 7:00 until 9:00 p.m. and at the church prior to the service. The Tennessee Highway Patrol will lead the funeral procession. Williams Columbia Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements with Roundtree, Napier, and Ogilvie?s Columbia Funeral Home assisting.
The Coumbia native was the son of the late Mary Irwin Scott and Waldnse Smith Beasley. He was married to the former Mary Jane Church, who survives.
He was educated in the public schools of Columbia and graduated from Central High School, where he was president of the Senior Class. He received a B.A. in Business form Vanderbilt University and was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity.
He was a glider pilot and flight instructor in the United States Army Air Corps during the Second World War with the rank of Second Lieutenant. He was a member of the Herbert Griffin American Legion Post 19.
He had been president of Beasley and Millinor Company of Madison, Florida, President of Columbia Produce Company, and a partner in W.S. Beasley Company.
A life-long member of the First Presbyterian Church, he was an elder, a Deacon, and was Clerk of the Session for many years. He was a past president of the Synod Men?s Association of Tennessee. He was past president of the Columbia Kiwanis Club, was a member of the Club?s Legion of Honor, a Hixon Fellowship Recipient, and had been recognized in September for fifty years of perfect attendance. He was a former member of the board of Trustees of the Columbia State Community College Foundation, a former member of the Board of United Givers Fund United Way, a past president of the Maury County Vanderbilt Alumni Association, a past member of the Rose Hill Cemetery Endowment Association, a past member of the Maury County Chamber of Commerce Maury Alliance, and a member of the Tennessee Farm Bureau Association.
He was a member of the Maury County Republican Party and a frequent volunteer at Republican Headquarters.
He was instrumental in the financing and development of the Maury County Stadium Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Ina addition to his wife, he is survived by a son, Wally Beasley, Jr. of Columbia, TN; a sister, Mary Beasley White of Lewisburg, TN; three nephews, George Waldense White of Franklin, TN, Robert Beasley White of Brentwood, TN, and David Halliburton White of Petersburg, TN.
Pallbearers will be Keith Baker, Frank Dale, Representative Tom Dubois, Dick Green, Senator Bill Ketron, and Bobby Sands. Honorary pallbearers will be Ronnie Adkins, Sharon Bennett, Chip Bray, Page Chamberlain, John Church, Mike Crutcher, David Daniels, M.D., John T. Fisher, Jr., James Fitts, M.D., John Fletcher, E.H. Frakes, Jr., Ben Gary, James Paul Gary, Joe Graham, Jr., John Hartling, Bedford Lochridge, Harold Lucas, Melvin Mann, Ken Moore, M.D., Rick Points, J.B. Stone, Raymond Stone, Robert Sweeney, Bobby Thomas, Joe Viar, B.J. Walker, David Walker, Genie White, the current and former Elders and Deacons of the First Presbyterian Church, the Board of the Godwin- Chappell United Methodist Church, the Columbia Kiwanis Club, the Board of Trustees of Columbia State Community College Foundation, the Board of the United Way of Maury County, Maury Alliance, and Herbert Griffin American Legion Post 19.
Memorials may be made the First Presbyterian Church, Godwin-Chappell United Methodist Church, Columbia Kiwanis Club, Columbia State Community College, United Way of Maury County, Maury County Public Library, or the Maury County Republican Party.