Dr. Ulysses Walls (March 18th, 1942) passed away on the 13th of January, 2026, in San Diego, California. He is preceded in departure by his parents, Hal and Willie D. Walls; his beloved, Regina Maefrances Pittman Walls; and his sister, Queen Ester Walls-Randall. He is survived by his five children, Mrs. Regina Elizabeth Walls-Hecht (David), Dr. Ulysses Christopher Walls (Dorothy), Dr. Frances Alexandria Ayalasomayajula (Shiva), Dr. Charles Anthony Walls (Bettina), and Dr. David Alan Walls (Niloofar); seven grandchildren, Mrs. Victoria Isabella Bertarelli (Mathew), Mr. Ulysses Christopher Lee Walls, Ms. Katherine Sophia Regina Walls, Mr. Michael Tejas Ayalasomayajula, Ms. Anjali Maefrances Ayalasomayajula, Ms. Holly Mae Regina Walls, and Mr. Jackson James Anthony Walls; eight siblings, Mrs. Senora Haywood, Mrs. Thelma Bataille, Mr. Hal Walls, Jr., Mrs. Dora Walls, Mrs. Linda Walls-Cooper, Mr. Gene Walls, Dr. Kelvin Walls, and Dr. Brian Walls; and many nieces and nephews.
Born in Mississippi and raised in Hayti, Missouri, Dr. Walls is remembered for his determination, work ethic, and academic and professional accomplishments. He completed his undergraduate education at the University of Missouri at Columbia, where he was a member of the Delta Omega chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi and a civil rights activist, before attending graduate school at Washington University in St. Louis. Upon completing a masters in business administration and graduate studies in chemistry, he attended Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry and was the president of his graduating class for three consecutive years. After graduation, he remained in Nashville, Tennessee, where he practiced dentistry for 40 years. He devoted his career to providing oral health care to the underserved and disadvantaged communities of Davidson County and surrounding areas of Tennessee. Believing in the importance of life-long learning, Dr. Walls was an avid reader with extensive knowledge of medical sciences, chemistry, physics, Civil War history, and American politics.
A celebration of Dr. Ulysses Walls’s life will take place on February 20th at 9:30 AM at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashville, 1808 Woodmont Blvd, Nashville, TN 37215, followed by his final resting at Woodlawn Funeral Home & Memorial Park and a reception at 1:30 PM at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashville.
