Doris Louise Thomas Waller

With sadness in our hearts but rejoicing that she came our way, we announce the passing of Doris Waller to her Heavenly Home and into the arms of her Lord and Saviour early on Thursday morning, May 5, 2016.

Doris was born at home in Gilchrist County, Florida, on December 27, 1909, the second of nine children of the late John Lawton and Lina Lindsey Thomas. By the age of 5, she helped her mother cook and feed the field hands on their farm; by 12, she was her father's bookkeeper in their family store and helped him as Postmaster of Bell, FL. After high school graduation in 1927 and a year of teaching, she enrolled in nursing school at St. Luke's Hospital in Jacksonville graduating at the top of her class in 1932, At her death, she was the oldest living graduate of St. Luke's, now part of the St. Vincent Health Care System in Jacksonville.

While in nurse training, she met the love of her life, Ervin Waller. He was a patient and became infatuated with her 'coffee-brewing' abilities. Thus began a romance that lasted until death parted them 46 years later. Ervin and Doris married at Hope Haven Hospital for Crippled Children in Jacksonville, on September 18, 1932, the location determined by a young patient of Doris' who had never attended a wedding – the young girl sang at their wedding. That was a major requisite of their entire married life….serving and helping others.

Her life was story-book for the time: she was President of Nurses Mutual Insurance Company, founded by Ervin in 1935, writing health insurance to nurses who had no benefits provided by their employers; she helped develop some of the first underwriting guidelines and techniques; she was his right hand when in 1950 they introduced computerization to the insurance industry in their small company in Jacksonville. They moved to Atlanta in 1955 and formed a life insurance company; when Ervin died in 1978, Doris continued his legacy, becoming President of the insurance company and, as president of its holding company, was the first female president of a publicly held company in Georgia and was featured in the October 1988 issue of Georgia Trend magazine.

She never shirked her responsibility of raising a family or serving her community via her beloved Order of the Eastern Star, serving her church (Briarcliff Baptist), her Sunday School Class as President, and having her Friday Night Bridge Club group for over 15 years after Ervin passed away. She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star for over 69 years, the last 50 years as a member and Past Matron twice of Decatur Chapter #148, Grand Representative of Arkansas, Grand Historian and numerous other positions.

She was preceded in death by her husband, C. Ervin Waller, her son Leland Ervin Waller, her grandson Samuel Spencer Swilling III, her parents and all but one of her siblings. She leaves to remember her as Mom, Nama and Grandmother: her daughter Annelle Waller Hammond (John Dunleavy), Duluth GA; her grandsons Stephen Craig Waller, Atlanta, and Leland Scott Waller (Kristi), Fort Smith AR; her granddaughter, the Rev. Anne Tabor (David Hart), Arlington TX; her great-grandchildren Rev. Jason Davis (Carolyn) Swilling, San Gabriel CA; Leland Zachary Swilling and Lauren Ashley Swilling, Burbank CA; Kennedy Yael Waller, Tucker GA; BrieAnne and Braxton Waller, Fort Smith AR; three great-great-grandchildren: Jacob, Tyler, and Simon Swilling, San Gabriel CA; her one surviving sister, Evenelle T. Denmark, Jacksonville FL; 21 nieces and nephews; and a host of family and friends.

Visitation will be on Wednesday, May 11, 2016, from 2pm to 4pm and 5:30pm to 7:30pm. at A.S. Turner & Sons, North Decatur Road, Decatur GA. A celebration of Doris' amazing life will be held at Briarcliff Baptist Church, 3039 Briarcliff Road, NE, Atlanta GA, at 11 am on Thursday, May 12, 2016, followed by a reception at the church. Rev. Paul Millarc and Rev. Anne Tabor will officiate. Interment will be at Arlington Cemetery, Atlanta, GA, later that afternoon.

Flowers are appreciated, but it is in keeping with Doris' philosophy that donations be made in her memory to Briarcliff Baptist Church, Crossroads Hospice of Atlanta, or a charity of your choice. The family especially thanks caregiver Tammy Schooley, First Light Home Care, and Crossroads Hospice of Atlanta, for their love and tireless care of Doris.



Funeral Home:
A. S. Turner & Sons
2773 North Decatur Road
Decatur, GA
30033