The family will receive friends from 10:00am until 11:00am on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at Baldwin-Lee Funeral Home in Pearl. A Celebration of Life Service will follow at 11:00am in the funeral home chapel with interment in Floral Hills Memory Gardens. Pastor Kenny Goff will officiate both services.
Walt was born on September 5, 1936, to Jesse Everett Strong and Lona Story Strong in Carpenter, Mississippi. He proudly served our country with the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1957 and retired from a long career at Midland Container.
Walt was a great dad! His career ensured that he could be home when his children got off the school bus, always with a treat. He faithfully attended church with his family and spent time with his kids playing ball in the yard and attending games.
As a big kid at heart, he had a soft spot for children and animals, especially his grandchildren and granddogs. He was a wonderful grandfather and his grandchildren and great-grandchildren brought him so much joy. Walt spent much time taking his grandchildren to the park to feed the ducks, taking them on vacations- anything that would allow them to spend time together.
Walt loved to fish, especially for White Perch at the reservoir, and enjoyed gathering his family for fish fries.
In his free time Walt enjoyed many varied hobbies including going to the casino, watching football and college baseball, attending Mississippi Braves games, watching I Love Lucy, Andy Griffith, and the Grand Ole Opry, and listening to southern gospel music. He enjoyed eating out, especially Mama Hamil’s or Jerry’s Fish House, but he also could hold his own in the kitchen and made delicious cornbread dressing. Walt enjoyed traveling and he and his wife made several trips throughout the year to Branson, Missouri.
Walt never met a stranger; he was always so friendly to everyone and would talk to anyone he came across. He was famous for his short cuts and everyone knew if Walt said, “let’s take this short cut”, it meant it would probably take twice as long to get there.
He was preceded in death by his parents; wives, Ernestine “Teenie” Strong and Sue Strong; daughter, Charlotte Taylor; his brothers, Jesse Strong, Luther Strong, Joe Tom Strong; and sisters, Gladys O’Hara and Mary Little.
He is survived by his children, Montez Strong Carby (Chris), Walt Strong, Jr. (Sarah), Angela Foster (Daniel), and Carl Hannah (Karen); sister, Marjorie Strong Moody; grandchildren, Shannon Redwine, Shaun Redwine, Britanie Sammartino, Ryan Hannah (Allison), Cecily Carby (Ben), Paige Fleming (Derek), Dallas Bright (Austin), Taylor Fredrick (Dylan), and Jackson Strong; great-grandchildren, Jonathan Redwine, Braelynn Redwine, Ryan Lamb, and Shanely Fredrick; and several beloved extended family members and friends.
Walt left a handwritten note requesting no flowers and requesting memorial donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which he supported monthly for years: http://www.stjude.org/donate.
