Walter Scott Bearden Jr.

Walter Scott Bearden III passed away peacefully on October 25, 2022. He was the son of Walter S. Bearden, Jr. and Frances Bearden, older brother to Julie Bearden Adams, and devoted husband to his late wife, Noel Bearden. He is survived by his children, Scott Bearden and Wyndham Bearden Wood, and his brother, John Bearden.

After graduating from Vanderbilt University, Walter left for New York City, determined to make his way in the world. There he founded a women’s wear company that he built into a successful, well-known brand. It was a role he cherished, and one that took him around the globe.

Known for his keen intellect, sharp wit and incredible kindness, he transformed into a true New Yorker during the fifty-plus years he lived there. Never far from the latest issue of The New York Times, he devoured its contents daily, almost without exception. Yet it was the people, he always said, that made New York the vital place it is. While he lived his final years in Nashville, he died as he’d lived—as a Nashvillian and a New Yorker at heart, hungry for fine food, even finer wines, and the thrumming heartbeat of the City That Never Sleeps.

Fascinated by history and the world at large, he was grateful to have traveled so extensively, and never lost his thirst for information and the intellectual stimuli it never failed to deliver. His friends, too, spanned a broad range, and each of them meant a great deal to him. Beloved by those far and near, his wry humor and enduring thoughtfulness will be missed by a great many.

A visitation will be held at Woodmont Christian Church on Thursday, November 3 beginning at 10am, followed by a funeral service at 12pm.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.marshalldonnellycombs.com for the Bearden family.