WALTER LEE THAYER of Little
Rock died Friday, November 13, 2020. Walter was born in Perry, Iowa on April 30, 1928 to Ed and Gertrude Thayer.
While still a youngster, Walter’s family moved to Oklahoma City, Okla., where Walter graduated from Central High School. It was there he met the love of his life, Billie Marie Howell, and they were married on September 10, 1948.
Walter graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma and later received a graduate degree from the SMU Southwestern School of Banking. After college, he worked for a number of years for Dunn and Bradstreet in Oklahoma City and Wichita, Kan. In 1965 he and Billie moved to Little Rock, where Walter went to work for the United States Small Business Administration. He held a number of positions there until his retirement in 1992.
A veteran of the Korean War, Walter served in the United States Army, 45th Division, from 1950 to 1952, and received two Bronze Stars and an Oakleaf Cluster.
Walter’s Christian faith was unshakeable. He was a faithful member of Little Rock’s Immanuel Baptist Church for 57 years, where he served on many committees. He was also a member of Gideons International and was an Arkansas representative to the White House Counsel on Small Business.
He was an avid football fan and although he enjoyed watching all college games with Billie on fall Saturdays, no team came close to his beloved Oklahoma Sooners. While the rare game between the Sooners and Razorbacks might have tested some of his local relationships (especially the 1979 Orange Bowl), those friendships stayed intact and he was always a good sport, no matter the outcome.
Walter was an ace bridge player, and he and Billie enjoyed countless hours playing with friends over the years, most recently with their friends at Parkway Village, where they moved in 2016.
In addition to his devotion to God and country, Walter fiercely loved his family and enjoyed nothing more than traveling to see his grandchildren. Even with the distance between them, he managed to be a significant presence in their lives as they were growing up and into their adult lives, enthusiastically attending birthday parties, sporting events, concerts, graduations, engagement parties and weddings.
In addition to his parents, Walter is preceded in death by a daughter, Terri Lee Thayer and brother, Ed.
He is survived by his wife of 72 years, as well as two daughters, Susan McKinney (husband Bob) of Brentwood, Tenn., and Kay Ely (husband John) of Little Rock; six grandchildren, Daniel McKinney (wife Krista) of Marietta, Ga.; Maggie Majors (husband Ben) of Huntsville, Ala.; David McKinney of Birmingham, Ala.; Chris Watson of Arlington, Va.; Katie Watson of Vienna, Va.; and Garrett Watson of Alexandria, V. He is also survived by four great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Immanuel Baptist Church of Little Rock, 501 North Shackleford, 72211.
Funeral services under the direction of Roller Chenal Funeral Home will be held at a later date. Online guestbook: www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/chenal.