Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Dr. Richard ‘Rick’ Lee ‘Doc’ Wall, 66, of Sylva, died on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020.

He was born in Salisbury on March 7, 1953 to the late Walter Lee and Shirley Baker Wall. He was a North Carolinian his whole life, attending Western Carolina for his undergraduate degree and N.C. State University for his doctorate in veterinary medicine. He spent his life taking care of the community’s furry family members at Sylva Animal Hospital. He treasured life in the mountains and enjoyed living here for the majority of his life. He was a sports fan, enjoying NASCAR, football, and basketball. He always cheered on his N.C. State Wolfpack. He was an Army veteran and enjoyed visiting with friends at the VFW and American Legion while sipping on an ice cold Corona. He loved animals and liked people. He lived life on his own terms. He loved rock and roll music and fast cars, especially his most recent custom designed Dodge Challenger Hellcat. He also liked to give most everyone he knew a nickname, whether they liked it or not.   

Survivors: a sister, Jeanne Melvin and her husband, Michael of Concord, and their 2 daughters, Nicole Tate and husband Kyle of Richmond, Va. and Brandi Melvin-Scammell and husband Mark Scammell of Hillsborough; and a great-niece, Eleanor Scammell.

Memorials: Catman2 Inc. http://www.catman2.org/ or ARF aka Humane Society of Jackson County, http://animal.jacksonnc.org/.