Julie Wall

EVANS, GEORGIA - Julie Ann DeGooyer Wall (aka Jules, aka Mom, aka Gram-ma) passed away soundly and peacefully on April 13, 2022 at her home in Evans, Georgia surrounded by her loved ones. Jules battled pancreatic cancer with such fervor that she was declared the winner on that gorgeous spring day.

Julie’s last words were, “I wish we had more time.” Simple and deep words from a timeless and priceless woman. Her words can be taken and interpreted as you see fit.

Julie was born in Washington, DC to John Gobel DeGooyer, Sr. and Franzetta “Frankie” Richards. Frankie and John welcomed Julie’s brother, John Gobel DeGooyer, Jr. three years earlier in 1942. John and Jules ran things on Meurilee Lane in Silver Spring, MD. Their bond is the product of their strong family energy. Fun fact: The DeGooyer is the tallest wooden mill in the Netherlands standing 87 feet. It’s located between Funenkade and Zeeburgerstraat in Amsterdam. Legend has it.

Julie attended High Point College in High Point, NC majoring in English and also captained the Panthers cheerleading squad. It was at High Point that she met Larry Rex Wall, the sharp shooting guard on the Panther basketball team. Larry and Julie were married in Washington, DC in 1967, the summer of love and enjoyed 54 years of marriage filled with adventures, opportunities, travel and life in general. They welcomed their beloved son Gregory Allen in 1976. Fun fact: Julie met Larry on a blind date.

The Wall Show began in earnest when The Face was born in Greenville, SC. From there they traveled to Williamsburg, KY and then to Aiken SC where her husband, Coach Wall accepted his come up as the Pacers head men’s basketball coach at USC-Aiken in Aiken, SC. Julie taught English at Midland Valley High and received her Masters in Education at USC-Aiken during this time. From Aiken, they ventured west to reside in Liberal, KS for two years and then made the trek to Pilot Mountain, NC where they lived for one year before departing back to Aiken, SC in 1985. After four years teaching advanced English at Midland Valley, the Wall family moved to Murray, KY where Julie was a co-curator at the Wrather West Kentucky Museum on campus as Coach Wall helmed the Murray State Lady Racers women’s basketball team. Then in 1991 and itching to get back into educating the leaders of tomorrow, Larry, Julie and Greg moved and settled in Waynesboro, GA, “The Bird Dog Capital of the World.” Julie spent 28 years at Burke County High School where she retired with honors teaching English and then as an ace Guidance Counselor, mentoring thousands of talented kids in Burke County. Fun Fact: Nathan Stubblefield of Murray, KY invented radio; not Guglielmo Marconi.

Gram-ma loved her three granddaughters dearly. Ella Ashlyn, Ainsley Blake and Maggie Lorelei brought Julie such tremendous joy at each moment they shared. Gram-ma organized fun cooking games and creative art activities with her grandkids and thrived during the occasional dance-off. Julie loved to enrich the lives of others by knowing what people enjoyed and loved. She thought of others constantly that she cherished sending cards to loved ones for any occasion. Whether it was an encouraging note in her stylized and neat penmanship or simply penning an Eleanor Roosevelt quote on a stamped postcard, you valued and appreciated that she was thinking of you and the genuine effort she always put forth. She loved basketball and she would rage at the refs on the reg. Jules was an astute referee as a Coach’s Wife, as a Mom, as an educator, as a guidance counselor and as the controller of the remote but she was always fair and kept a tidy balance with her quick wit and observational humor. Julie loved all genres of music and was decades ahead of the times by embracing hip-hop culture due to its many facets of art and political expression. Julie was such an informed Mom that she gifted Greg Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back during Christmas of 1988. Fun fact: Bands like Public Enemy are and were direct sources to history that may not appear in school textbooks…ace move, Moms.

There is so much more to this woman, wife and Mom that an obituary cannot fit concisely nor do her life true justice. If you knew Julie, then you knew what a treasure and gem she was. Jules made you a better person and would positively remind you of your strengths and encourage everyone to believe in themselves. And, the beauty of it all was that she was correct most of the time. I’m grateful that many of us listened. Fun fact: Julie’s last concert was seeing Paul McCartney live with Greg and Larry.

Julie Ann DeGooyer Wall is survived by her husband Larry Rex Wall; her son Gregory Allen Wall; her three granddaughters Ella Ashlyn Wall, Ainsley Blake Wall and Maggie Lorelei Wall; and her brother John DeGooyer.

The family will receive friends on Saturday, April 23, 2022 at 1pm at Thomas Poteet & Son, 214 Davis Rd., Augusta, GA 30907 with the funeral service to follow at 2pm in the chapel with Greg Wall officiating. Interment will follow at Westover Memorial Park.

Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Rd., Augusta, GA 30907 (706) 364-8484. Please sign the guestbook at www.thomaspoteet.com