Walter Joseph Pierron, Jr.

Walter Joseph Pierron Jr. was born July 14, 1933, in Monroe, Louisiana to Hallie Scott Pierron and Walter Joseph Pierron, Sr. and died on October 17, 2023, in Monroe. He graduated with honors from Wisner High School in 1951, where his father was the principal, and his mother was a teacher. He studied pharmacy at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy in Oxford, MS. While at Ole Miss, he met and married Jimmie Grace Hayles of Oxford. Upon graduation in 1954, he served in the United States Air Force as a captain and he and Jimmie were stationed at the McDill Air Force Base in Tampa, FL.

Upon his discharge, Walter and Jimmie moved to Monroe where he and Jimmie raised their children, Joe and Melanie. After the death of Jimmie, he married Nancy Bartleson in 1982. Walter owned Lakeshore Pharmacy. He practiced pharmacy for 45 years and was the epitome of the old-fashioned, independent pharmacist, knowing his customers and their families by name, and often returning to the pharmacy or delivering prescriptions to their homes at all hours, on nights, weekends and holidays.

Walter loved the practice of pharmacy and was well known professionally. He was an active member of the Louisiana Pharmacists Association and served as its president. He was honored as Pharmacist of the Year in 1970, was awarded the Bowl of Hygeia in 1977 and the ULM Meritorious Award in 2011. He was also active in the Mississippi Pharmacy Association and alumni affairs of Ole Miss.

Walter taught at the ULM School of Pharmacy for 15 years, where he was the faculty advisor for Phi Delta Chi professional fraternity. He and Nancy loved the pharmacy students and frequently had them over to their home for meetings and home cooked meals.

Walter was active in civic affairs. He was a member of the Rotary Club of Monroe and a member and president of the Lakeshore Lions Club. He was a founding member of the River Oaks School, where he served on the board and as its chairman. He was a member of Memorial United Methodist Church and later First Methodist Church of Monroe.

Walter was preceded in death by his parents, Walter J. Pierron, Sr. and Hallie Scott Pierron, his first wife Jimmie Hayles Pierron and their infant son, Robert David Pierron, and his sister Marie Pierron Watson. He is survived by his wife Nancy Bartleson Pierron; son, Walter Joseph Pierron, III (Joe) and his wife, Laure of Plano, TX; daughter Melanie Pierron Patrick and husband William H. (Billy) of Baton Rouge, LA; stepdaughter, Shelly Mulhearn Holloway and her husband John; stepson, Peter G. Mulhearn, Jr. (Butch) and his wife Diane; grandchildren, Whitney Pierron Williams and husband Stephen; Avery Pierron Johnson and her husband Tim; Jackson Bryce Pierron and his fiancée Jeniece Brown; Meredith Patrick Pace and her husband Drew; Madeleine Pierron Patrick; William H. Patrick, IV and his wife Claire; step grandchildren, William C. Crow and wife Michelle; Joshua Peter Crow and wife Lauren; Sarah Mulhearn Haines and husband Anthony; Kallan Grace Mulhearn; and great grandchildren: Harper and Evan Williams, Charles (Chip) and Anna Johnson; Grayson Pierron, Patrick, James and Daniel Pace, Chance, Charlotte, and Cale Crow.

Walter always had time for a cup of coffee and conversation. Walter never met a stranger, was perpetually optimistic, always in good spirits and never admitted to having a bad day, often waking his then teenaged children up by flipping on the lights and yelling “Get up! It’s a wonderful day to be alive!”

He loved flying and developed life-long friendships through his interest in airplanes. He often flew potential students and athletic recruits from Louisiana to Ole Miss for college tours.

Walter was a beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend. He loved his family with his whole heart and his grandchildren will tell you that he told each of them “you know you are my favorite, but just keep that between us.”

Many heartfelt thanks to his longtime caregivers, Carole Dickey and Darrin Berry.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, October 21, 2023, from 1:00 p.m. until funeral services begin at 3:00 pm at Mulhearn Funeral Home with Rev. Brian Mercer officiating. Interment will follow at Mulhearn Memorial Park Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be William H. Patrick IV, Jackson Pierron, Stephen Williams, Will Crow, Joshua Crow, Chance Crow, Anthony Haines, and Tom Opdyke. Honorary Pallbearers are Darrin Berry, Jerry Bartleson, Paul Gardebled, Bob Eisenstadt and Pete Aucoin.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Walter can be made to The Walter J. Pierron Pharmacy Scholarship established in his honor in 2014 at the University of Mississippi. The link to the scholarship is https://umfoundation.com/pierron. Donations can also be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN.