Wallace VanMetre Witmer Jr.

Wallace VanMetre Witmer Jr., 90, passed away on September 13, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. Wallace was born in Memphis, Tennessee, to Wallace and Vallie Jo Witmer. He attended The Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and later Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. 

While at W&L, he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and the Sigma Society, as well as a founding member and first president of the Cadaver Society, a friend of the university. As a young man, Wallace earned the rank of Eagle Scout, an accomplishment of which he was very proud. After college, Wallace moved to New York City, where he met the love of his life, Nora. They married and moved to Memphis in 1961, where they raised their five children and built a wonderful life together. Wallace and Nora shared 64 years of marriage and a deep devotion to their family. Nora preceded him in death in 2024 and remained the great love of his life. 

Wallace enjoyed an active life and was a former member of the University Club, where he especially enjoyed playing handball and tennis. He was also a member of Memphis Country Club and the Hunt and Polo Club. Wallace had a successful career in the magazine publishing business. A longtime member of Idlewild Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Wallace retired to La Grange, Tennessee, in 2002 and became a member of Immanuel Episcopal Church. He loved his life in La Grange and the friendships he made there. He started the Saturday morning coffee hour in town, where friends and neighbors gathered each week for coffee and conversation. It became a cherished La Grange tradition and was something Wallace especially enjoyed. 

Wallace is survived by his five children: Nora Browning Witmer; Wallace VanMetre Witmer III; Julie Witmer Smith (Bill); Eve Witmer Johnson (Brad); and Camille Chandler Witmer. He is also survived by his twelve grandchildren, Edward (Kimberly), Nora, Baxley, Grace, Ava, William (Lucy), Camille (Blake), Julie, Jimbo, Helen (Preston), Evie, and Isabelle; and his four great-grandchildren, Walker, Banks, Henry, and Ellie. 

In addition to his beloved wife, Nora, and his parents, Wallace was preceded in death by his sister, Vallie Jo Bell of Memphis, Tennessee. 

The family gratefully thanks Wallace's caregivers, Sherry Burch, Danyelle Wheatherly, and Linda Murray, as well as Marla and Erich Mounce and the La Grange first responder team, for their compassionate care and support. 

A Graveside Service for Mr. Witmer will be held at the Immanuel Episcopal Church cemetery on Friday, September 25, 2026 at 2 P.M., followed by a reception at his family home. 

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made to Immanuel Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 21, La Grange, Tennessee 38046.