Lavalon Collie Wall

1936 - 2020

Lavalon Collie Wall

Virginia, Tennessee, and the world lost one of its grand dames on Tuesday, October 27, 2020, when Lavalon Collie Wall passed away peacefully in her sleep in Bristol, Va. Her death follows a 26 year struggle with late onset diabetes, which led to other health ailments.

Lavalon was born in Danville, Va., on June 15, 1936, the daughter of Howard White Collie and Lavalon Kernon Collie. She grew up an only child with her grandmother, four uncles and an aunt nearby. She often recalled her time on the four-generation family farm, driving a tractor, drying tobacco and getting into mischief. During a fortuitous trip in August 2020 back to the family homestead, she passionately surveyed the property that still remains in the family and is now primarily a timber farm.

While in junior high school, Lavalon laid eyes on a handsome high school baseball player, Bobby Franklin Wall. They married in 1957 and have spent 63 blissful years together.

Shortly after marriage, the Walls moved to Bristol, Va., from Danville and began a long life of service and involvement within the community. The couple was active at their work, local schools, 4-H, Reynolds United Methodist Church, their beloved ballroom dancing clubs, and countless other organizations.

Lavalon's most passionate love (besides Bobby) were her two girls, Nancy and Aimee. She doted on them from the bassinette until her death.

Despite all the time with family, Lavalon worked outside the home. Her favorite position was that of bridal manager and china buyer at Faucets where she worked with brides to select their china, silver and crystal. After Faucets, Lavalon sold crystal, estate jewelry and other luxury goods at Ryland's Jewelry on State Street in downtown Bristol. Prior to her position at Faucets, Lavalon spent years as a 4-H Coordinator for the City School Program offered by the Country Extension Service.

After her retirement, Lavalon was a leader in 14 organizations celebrating the heritage of the U.S. and Virginia, including the Daughters of the American Revolution and the National Society Colonial Dames XVll Century. Family heritage was very important to Lavalon. In addition to D.A.R. and Colonial Dames, the lineage societies to which she belonged: National Society Daughters of the American Revolution; National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century; Jamestown Society; Order of Descendants of Ancient Planters; National Society Daughters of the American Colonists; National Society Daughters of Colonial Wars; Order of Americans of Armorial Ancestry; National Society Dames of the Court of Honor; Huguenot Society of America; National Society Magna Charta Dames; Order of the Crown of Charlemagne in the United States of America; National Society Daughters of 1812; National Society Colonial Daughters of the Seventeenth Century; Order of the Steel Magnolias.

Lavalon is survived by her husband, Bobby Wall of Bristol, Tenn.; daughter and son-in-law, Nancy Hopkins and Ron Tanner of Bristol, Va., and Brooklyn, N.Y.; daughter and son-in-law, Aimee Chester and Scott Chester of Houston, Texas; granddaughter, Jessica Lindsay Chester of San Diego, Calif.; granddaughter, Hailee Kernon Hopkins of Fort Worth, Texas; granddaughter, Hattie Mahon Hopkins of Chicago, Ill.; their father, William Mahon Hopkins of Des Moines, Ill., and Kristen Nicole Chester of San Diego, Calif..

Services will be private due to COVID-19, with a celebration of Lavalon's life planned for the spring.

Condolences and memories may be shared with the family and viewed by visiting www.oakley-cook.com. Arrangements especially for Mrs. Wall and her family have been made through Oakley-Cook Funeral Home & Crematory.