Deana Walker Schmidt
Age 72
Resident of Mt Juliet Tn
Born Deana Walker August 11 1952
Passed away on October 9 2024
from a long illness her loving family in attendance
Daughter of the late Grand Ole Opry Star
Billy Walker and Sylvia “Boots” Walker of Nashville Tn Wife of the late Tom Schmidt of Hendersonville Tn proceeded in death her sister Julie Walker.
She is survived by sisters Judy Walker Jett, Tina Walker Highers Niece and nephews Scott “Sweepy Walker” Pulliam, Lance Highers, and Sylvia “Lucky” Highers.
Memorial Services are at Sellars Funeral Home Lebanon Tn Thursday October 17th Visitation 4pm to 8pm Service at 6:15 (313 West Baddour Pkwy, Lebanon Tn 37087).
Deana was a kind, generous and creative soul, full of song, literally. She could come bursting out at any moment and often did in the grocery store, on a city streets or in the car. Loud, clear beautiful and demanding a audience.
Coming from a musical family she first sang professionally with her father and later with her sisters the Walker Sisters, performing on the Grand Ole Opry. Traveling the world and entertaining thousands of souls, she was most comfortable at home with a book and family.
She retired from performing and married Tom Schmidt in October of 1994 at age 42. They were not blessed with children but she helped raise, was much loved, and a was great influence on her niece and nephews.
A world traveler and a true artist she expressed herself in song, song writing, poem, short stories, drawing and painting. With an IQ of 160 and an eidetic memory she was the “walking Encyclopedia” of the family. You could say, she was our Google before, Google was even invented. Any song, movie or any fact from pop culture to Ancient Rome all you had to do was call Deana on the land line. Another passion she so enjoyed was ancient history with particular interests in Egyptian, Roman, and Greek mythology.
Good, bad or frustrating, Deana was always late and loved to run around naked, which was a particular angst to her family. Who loved her dearly anyway.
Sellars Funeral Home, Lebanon TN, 615.444.9393.
