Dr. Richard 'Dick' Thomas Walls

Richard Thomas (“Dick”) Walls (March 29, 1939 – November 1, 2017)

In the early evening hours of Wednesday, November 1, 2017, Dick Walls passed peacefully away at home, comforted by his wife of 50 years, Janet K. Walls, his son, Jason M. Walls, and his beloved daughter-in-law, Rebecca M. Walls. His “Little Darling,” Callie Sue the cat was there too. As day turned into dusk and the hour of his passing drew, Dick and his family listened to Leonard Cohen and Hank Williams and watched his friends, the squirrels, the songbirds, the turkey, and the deer feeding against a backdrop of mottled-yellow leaves drifting gently to the ground. Their work done, their time of change come.

It is impossible to capture the essence of this man in a few lines of text. Dick Walls was and will remain a vitally important figure in the lives of many people.

He was proud but very humble about his storied career as a Professor of Educational Psychology at West Virginia University. For forty-seven (47) years, he mentored and guided countless students to a better understanding of how education works, essentially, unravelling for them the Psychological Foundations of Learning, as one of his books was titled. Dick was an accomplished academician and a great believer in the power of education. It permeated everything he did and it cemented many of the most important relationships in his life.

Dick loved music and at various times played the stand-up base, guitar, banjo, keyboard, bones, and a mean blues harp. He played in bands like the Helvetia Blues Band and the Pass-Fail Band and took great joy from the connection created when good music was played with his friends. He’s probably belting out Mustang Sally somewhere right now, in his own inimitable style.

Dick loved people, and he maintained a hopeful view of the world. Until the very end, if you asked Dick Walls how he was feeling, the inevitable answer was “just dandy.” The reach of his impact was long and his mind was always open. He meant very many things to very many people.

Dick loved the peace of a perfect West Virginia day and working outside. He and beautiful wife, Janet, spent a lifetime creating and caring for an idyllic home outside of Morgantown, where generations of family, neighbors, and friends enjoyed many excellent gatherings and celebrations. Over the many years, “Camp Walls” left its mark on a wide and eclectic array of individuals.

Dick loved his family and shared a close and personal connection with many beloved nieces and nephews, and was a good son to parents, Hugh M. Walls and Pauline Thomas Walls, and good brother to sister, Wanda Kay Rotruck. He loved his wife and son, and all three shared many close, funny, happy, and sad times in the end. He was and will forever be missed and loved.

Please join us this Thursday, November 9, 2017, for a celebration of the life of Richard Thomas (“Dick”) Walls to be held at Fred L. Jenkins funeral home in Morgantown, with visitation from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. with a memorial to follow, during which all are invited to share remembrances.

The family will host a reception following the service beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Mountain State Brewing Company, 54 Clay Street, Morgantown, WV. Inside the restaurant visitors will be directed to a designated area that has been reserved for the Walls family. We hope you can continue to celebrate with a bite to eat and a pint of good ale.

Thursday, November 09, 2017 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Fred L. Jenkins Funeral Home 10 S. High St. Morgantown, West Virginia 26501

Thursday, November 09, 2017 6:00 PM

Fred L. Jenkins Funeral Home 10 S. High St. Morgantown, West Virginia 26501

Thursday, November 09, 2017 7:30 PM

Mountain State Brewing Co. 54 Clay Street Morgantown, WV 26501