Wallis O’Neal Nelson, 82, departed this life on Thursday, December 22, 2022 at Sanctuary Hospice House in Tupelo after a brief illness. Wallis was born an only child in the Pratts Community in Lee County, MS on February, 17, 1940 to the late Garner and Inez Nelson. Raised in Baldwyn and the Dry Creek Community, Wallis attended Baldwyn High School where he enjoyed playing sports and went on to receive his bachelor’s degree in marketing from University of Southern Mississippi. Growing up, he attended Baldwyn Methodist Church where he sung in the choir. He served his country proudly in the U. S. Army. He worked as a dispatcher in the trucking industry with Roadway for many years and retired from Ole Dominion Truck Lines retiring as Manager of Marketing. He was the voice of the Baldwyn Bearcats basketball and baseball and Northeast Community College. Young at heart, he enjoyed restoring and driving antique cars, traveling, cooking fresh shrimp and living large.
Private family services will be held with interment in Dry Creek Cemetery. Holland Funeral Directors-Tupelo is honored to be serving their friends.
He is survived by his daughters, Tricia Nelson (Kay) of Gulfport, Robin Page (Billy) of Atlanta, and Kelly Nelson (Steven) of Memphis and their mother, Patricia Nelson of Memphis and their families and a special friend of 18 years, Carole Rizor. He is preceded in death by his wife of 24 years, Cathy Nelson and his parents.
Condolences to the family may be emailed to hollandfuneraldirectors@comcast.net Memorials may be made to Sanctuary Hospice House, P. O. Box 2177, Tupelo, MS. 38802.
