Iva Ray Wall Jr.

Iva Ray Wall Jr., age 90, got his wings on Saturday, November 24, 2018 in North Little Rock. He was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on August 21, 1928 to the late Iva Ray Sr., and Rosa Lee Dunlap Wall Weed. Iva was loved by all who knew him and if he invited you into his life, you were forever family. He was a member of Mountain Springs Baptist Church. He was a huge NASCAR fan and passed his passion for NASCAR down to his sons, grandsons and a few of the girls. Among his many accomplishments, Iva served 20 years in the Air Force as a nurse and a jet engine mechanic during WWII and the Korean and Vietnam wars and received an award from Governor Hutchinson for his service in Vietnam. Iva was a security guard for Governor Rockefeller from 1967-1971 and for several locations across central Arkansas. He worked as a civil engineer for Little Rock Air Force Base, where he was in charge of keeping the grounds beautiful for the base and the missile sites. Iva was a school bus driver for Cabot School District, which led him to become a 33rd degree Mason, Shriner and Scottish Rite. As a Shriner, he specialized in the clown unit and was known as "Preacher the Clown and his Merry Go Round". He also helped sponsor several children through the Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children. He served as a constable for Magness Township for a term and was a licensed minister having had the privilege to marry many family members and friends. He was also a 20-plus gallon blood donor. In addition to his parents, Iva is preceded in death by his wife of almost 42 years, Ione Phyllis Carpenter Wall; his four brothers, Eugene Robert "Tex", Lonnie Joe, Clyde Doyle "Buddy" and William "Bill" Wall; one sister, Rosa Maxine Guin; two grandchildren, Cynthia Lee Eason and McKaylei Aylssa Newnum; one great- granddaughter, Skyler Anne Thompson. Iva is survived by seven children, Bruce Wall of Commerce City, Colorado, Rosa Lee Eason of Benton, Wilbur Ray Wall of Austin, Louise Katherine (Randall) Beers of Mechanicsville, Maryland, Iva Ray Wall III "Sonny" of Austin, Artie Bee (Joe) Thompson of Mechanicsville, Maryland and Stephanie Rachelle Stivers of Phoenix, Arizona; sister-in-law, Florene Wall; 21 grandchildren; 39 great-grandchildren; seven great-great grandchildren and multitudes of family, special kids and friends. Funeral services will be 2 p.m., Thursday, November 29, 2018 at Baugh Chapel Baptist Church in Austin. Interment will follow at Mountain Springs Cemetery. Visitation will be 6-8 p.m., Wednesday, November 28, 2018 at Thomas Funeral Service (501) 941-7888, www.thomasfuneralservice.com.