Ralph “Wally” Inscho, Jr., passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his wife and son, Sunday, October 25, 2026. He was born February 9, 1931, in Birmingham, Alabama, to Ralph Wallace Inscho, Sr. and Evelyn Swann Inscho.
He is survived by his loving wife, Barbara Brown Inscho; his son, Keith Bowden Inscho (Maggie) of Lafollette, Tennessee; four grandchildren, and twenty-four great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; his infant daughter, Kelly Denise Inscho; his son, Bruce Kevin Inscho, and his sister, Bettye Inscho Morton.
Wally lived quietly, but lived a full life. As a teen, he hunted and fished, earned the Boy Scout rank of Eagle Scout, worked a summer in the wheat fields of Kansas, and two summers for the US Forest Service in northern Idaho.
As a young man, he was trained by the United States Air Force to fly fighter jets. After leaving the Air Force, he was educated and licensed as both an architect and an attorney. After graduating from Auburn University, he worked as an architect in his cousin’s construction firm located in Birmingham and Huntsville. Wally ultimately settled in Decatur, and began his own construction company, Inscho Building Systems, where he built more than two hundred business buildings in middle and north AL. Wally, a lifelong learner, decided in his forties to go to law school. While attending The University of AL School of Law, he met the love of his life, Barbara Brown Inscho.
Wally and Barbara returned to live in the Decatur area on their acreage atop Priceville Mountain. Together they worked for more than 50 years to restore and bring improvement to both the downtown business areas and the Old Decatur Residential Historic District. He was a remarkable leader bringing diverse groups together to accomplish great things for his community.
He and Barbara toured Decatur size towns in the Southeast to learn about downtown redevelopment, and then with others, formed DARE, the Downtown Area Redevelopment Effort. This provided the early basis for removal of downtown canopies along 2nd Avenue and the rehabilitation of a dozen downtown buildings, Together, with others, they did the work to have Old Decatur recognized as a residential historic district. They purchased the Decatur train station and saved it for 30 years until at last it was redeveloped as an historic museum. They also redeveloped or maintained historic houses and apartments to the benefit of the City of Decatur.
He was also privileged, during those years to travel with friends to Asia, Africa, Europe, and the mountains of the western United States. In later years, he and Barbara enjoyed traveling with Dinner Club friends.
Wally joined “The Moulton Street Culture Club” that had its origins at The All-Wright Bakery located on Moulton Street. Later they moved to the City Cafe and now meet at their present location at Java Jaay Cafe on 6th Ave. He was both selected and elected “Pope” by this group of men who meant so much to Wally.
Art enriched Wally’s life in many ways. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to either The Carnegie Visual Arts Center, 207 Church St. NE, Decatur, AL 35601, where Wally served as the first president of the Carnegie Board or Neighborhood Christian Centers of AL, 619 Bank St., NE, Decatur, AL 35601. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.
