Dr. Elizabeth C. Mitchell Walter was born February 19,1936, in Decatur, Alabama, to John Irvin and Hilda Harlan Harris Mitchell. Elizabeth passed peacefully on January 1, 2019, surrounded by loved ones—her dearest friend, Sandra Willets; daughter, Margaret Walter-Wilson (Ravinell); son, Andrew William F. and daughter-in-law Traci Wood Walter; and Odin the cat. She is survived by her sister, Wanda Dell Marsh (Malcolm "Buck"); nieces, Nancy Day (Jack), Susan Marsh; nephew, Malcolm Marsh (Melissa); grandchildren, James R Wilson, Alexander Cain (Brittney), Lauren Wilson, Tyler and Hannah Walter. She was great-aunt to twelve exceptional people of whom she was deeply proud and great-great aunt to their nine children.

She will be celebrated in a graveside ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday, February 16, at Roselawn Gardens of Memory, 709 Danville Road SW, Decatur, Alabama, followed by a celebration of her life at Burning Tree Country Club from noon-4 p.m., 2521 Burning Tree Drive SE, Decatur.

Dr. Walter was professor emerita of art history and former chair of the Department of Art at the University of North Alabama. In the 1960's and '70s she was involved with the Freedom Quilting Bee of Gee's Bend, Alabama, the Selma Inter-religious Project and the Civil Rights March on Washington with MLK. She was the author of "Jay Hambidge and the Development of the Theory of Dynamic Symmetry" and numerous articles, as well as a groundbreaking study of "Frank Lloyd Wright in Alabama." Her most recent work was an exploration brought about by the genome project, "The Black Irish of Erie Descended from Spanish Pirates, A Memoir of an American Family: The Mitchells," an exploration into the history of the Mitchell Family and the Black Irish. She earned her graduate degrees at the University of Alabama and the University of Georgia.

She was a phenomenal woman—artist, professor, world traveler, New Yorker, author, civil rights activist, and friend to many and teacher to thousands. Her legacy lives on in so many lives and in the stories of THE Doctor Walter, DW, AB/Aunt Betty, DR. MOM, Dr. Wa Wa, BC/Betty Carol, our beloved Elizabeth. There really is no way to distill her into a simple epilogue, Elizabeth was a library. She was personally invested in everyone she met. She was kind, patient, the wrath of God, or a brick wall, depending upon what she perceived you needed. Elizabeth changed lives wherever she went, always knowing the right thing to say at the right moment, even if you desperately didn't want to hear it. The students who entered her classrooms came out transformed, as did her daughter, Margaret, who describes herself as "one of those lumps of clay. She portrayed ancient artists and politicians so vividly you felt as if you knew them personally. Archaeological sites covered in epochs of sand breathed anew in her passionate descriptions. Her thoughtfulness in dealing with each student as they learned their craft created the wind beneath many talented wings. Students were in awe or sheer terror of The Doc. She was a proud Lioness of her UNA art cubs, and if you were one of her students, her family can assure you that she loved each and every one of you. She swelled with joy at your successes and took the sucker punch when you stumbled. Her love of art also exposed her to the art supplies, solvents and chemicals which caused her lung disease, so please, wear your respirators and go make art.

After she retired from UNA, she hung up her mantle of Amazon Warrior of academia. She continued her travels and a new life in The Villages, Florida, with her dearest friend, Sandra. They traveled extensively and rode camels in the Gobi Desert of China and in the Egyptian sands of the Sahara. Golf and mahjong became her new battlegrounds. They enjoyed 15 years with water buffaloes at their back fence beneath the swaying Spanish moss on the arching limbs of ancient live oaks. She was particularly proud of her garden and the sunset views from their screened porch.

Elizabeth had a rich life and loving tribe. It is impossible to fathom the void she has left in her wake. She will be deeply missed. If you would like to remember her with a gift, nothing would make her happier than to see the endowment established for her mother grow. The Hilda Mitchell Endowed Scholarship for the Arts gives financial scholarships to students in the University of North Alabama Art Department. You may follow the prompts at una.edu/give/ and designate the Hilda Mitchell Scholarship for The Arts or just Hilda Mitchell and they will make sure your gift goes to the right place.

If you're traveling from out of town for the services, please RSVP to let the family know to plan for you. You may email margaret@trading-earth.com, or get in touch with other family members that you know. There are group rates for family and friends available under the name WALTER at Hilton Home 2 Suites in Decatur.