June 17, 1943 ~ August 29, 2026 (age 83)
Nell Dunn Walls, 83, of Lanett, Alabama, passed away on August 29, 2026, in Valley, Alabama.
Nell was born June 17, 1943, in Guntersville, Alabama, to J.W. and Viola Dunn. She graduated from Marshall County High School in 1961 and soon began working for NASA in Huntsville during an extraordinary period in America’s space program.
In January 1963, Nell married Tom Walls. In 1965, they settled in the Valley area and purchased The Valley Times-News. Nell worked alongside Tom in running the newspaper until his death in 1985. Together, they owned and ran the newspaper for more than 20 years. After Tom’s death, Nell continued to lead the newspaper, bringing the Walls family’s ownership and operation to more than 52 years.
With the help of her brother, Joe Dunn, Nell guided The Valley Times-News through a period of growth and renewal. Under her leadership, the newspaper received the award for Most Improved Newspaper in Alabama in 1986. Nell retired as publisher in 1993 but continued to serve as the newspaper’s owner and chief executive officer until it was sold in 2017 because of her declining health.
Nell was a strong, determined, and caring woman whose leadership made a lasting impact on both the newspaper and the community it served. She carried forward the legacy she and Tom had built together with courage, dedication, and an unwavering sense of responsibility. Through her work, she became a familiar and trusted presence in the community, and her commitment to the newspaper reflected her deep care for the people it served.
Family was at the heart of Nell’s life. She cherished time with those she loved and took immense pride in her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Her devotion to her family was clear in the way she supported them, celebrated their lives, and stayed a steady source of strength and love.
During retirement, Nell especially enjoyed spending time at her home on Lake Harding. She developed a passion for collecting antique Chris-Craft boats and traveled throughout the Southeast to attend antique boat festivals and shows. Her beautifully restored boats received many awards over the years, bringing her immense pride, along with many treasured friendships and memories.
Nell was preceded in death by her parents, J.W. and Viola Dunn; her husband, Tom Walls; her sons, Mark Thomas Walls Jr. and Benson D. Walls; her brother, Joe Dunn; her sister, Mary Nagle; her parents-in-law, B. Carmage and Martha Ann Walls; her sister-in-law, Jean Walls Garcich; and her brother-in-law, C. Lee Walls.
She is survived by her son, Joseph Carmage Walls, and his husband, Gregory C. Fritzler, both of Lanett, Alabama; her sister, Kate Herbelin of Sugar Land, Texas; her sister-in-law, Lissa Walls Cribb of Houston, Texas; her brother-in-law, Cooper Walls of Vancouver, British Columbia; her special niece, Patti Blevins of Knoxville, Tennessee; her grandchildren, Jake Carter, Mallory Reynolds, Thomas Walls and Austin Walls, all of Valley, Alabama; five great-grandchildren; and many beloved nieces, nephews, extended family members and friends.
Nell will be remembered for her strength, resilience, and pioneering leadership, as well as for her warmth, loyalty, and deep devotion to her family. She gave generously of herself to the people and community around her, leaving a legacy that reaches far beyond her professional accomplishments. Her influence will live on through the newspaper she led, the community she served and the generations of family who loved her.
A celebration of Nell’s life will be held later, with details to be announced. She will be laid to rest at Marseilles Cemetery in West Point, Georgia. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Dementia Society of America to support research and aid those affected by this devastating disease.
Please visit Nell’s Memorial Tribute page at www.johnsonbrownservicefh.com to leave a kind word for her family, to share a memory of Nell, or to light a Remembrance Candle in her memory.
Johnson Brown-Service Funeral Home of Valley directing.
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