There will be a Celebration of Life service at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 24, 2018 at Memorial Funeral Home.
Joseph was born on July 22, 1934 in Searcy, Arkansas, the son of James Milton and Dessie Mae (Burlison) Walls, both of whom preceded him in death. He was married on July 22, 1954 to Sally Duke, who preceded him in death in June of 2017.
He graduated from Columbia Military Academy in June 1952, graduated from University of Arkansas School of Medicine in 1962, and completed his residency at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine in 1967. Between 1968 and 1971 he served in the United States Army, in Landstuhl, Germany. After five years of private practice in Kentucky, he returned to the Mayo Clinic to specialize in Cardiothoracic Surgery. He practiced surgery in several hospitals, most recently at Truman VA Hospital and the University of Missouri Health Sciences Center.
He is survived by: his children, Phyllis Walls, Teresa Roberts, Joseph T. Walls, Jr. (Jennifer Wright) of Columbia, Sharon Walls of Denver, CO, and Diane Walls of Columbia; grandchildren, John Jarrell, IV, M.D. (Minerva Jarrell), Joseph T. Walls, III, Jennifer Nicole Walls, Zack Roberts, Camille Walls, Aubrey Walls, and Alyson Haynes; great-grandchildren Gabriella Jarrell and John Jarrell, V. Besides his wife and parents, he was preceded in death by one brother, Tom Walls.
Memorials are suggested to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
