Janet Tolbert Walling, 88, passed away Sept. 3, 2025. Janet was born in 1936, in Ada, OK, to William Hayward Tolbert and Mallie Rosemary Powell. Her name appears as Jeannette on her birth certificate, but she changed the spelling to Janet as an adult. She graduated from Stonewall in 1954. She attended East Central University in Ada and needed only three years to complete her studies, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Education in 1957. In that same year she married Jim Walling on Valentine’s Day. The couple celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary in 2025. Janet served as a teacher of English, Spanish, and French at Bethel, retiring in 1994.
Janet is survived by her husband Jim of Shawnee; her children, Mark Walling (Bethany) of Ada and Jeff Walling (Tisa) of Phoenix, AZ; her grandchildren Dylan Walling of Oklahoma City, Erin Walling of Denver, CO, Flossie Walling of Ada, Maya Marti (Nate) of Phoenix, AZ, and Eli Walling of Naval Air Station North Island San Diego; her brother Bill Tolbert of Odessa, TX; her niece Rebecca Tolbert of Odessa, TX, and her nephew Tim Tolbert of Odessa, TX.
Janet was preceded in death by her mother and father.
A celebration of Janet’s life was held in a graveside service at Resthaven Funeral Home and Memorial Park in Shawnee on Sept. 8, 2025.
