Edward Evans Waltrip

Edward “Edd” Evans Waltrip went to be with the Lord Friday, September 18, 2026, in Plano, Texas, surrounded by loved ones. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother and friend who devoted much of his life to his family and serving those in need.

Edd was born on June 17, 1936, in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to Albert and Elizabeth (Shealy) Waltrip. Edd enjoyed sharing stories of his youth, particularly those that included shenanigans he got up to with his brothers.

On December 15, 1962, Edd married the love of his life, Kay (Porter) Waltrip. The couple—who met on the shores of Sardis Lake in Mississippi and married in a tiny church near Memphis, Tennessee—were known for holding hands when walking to and from all sorts of events. Edd always gave Kay a kiss goodbye no matter the circumstance or the expected length of absence.

As a teen living in Miami, Florida, Edd worked a variety of jobs—including butcher and cashier—at grocery stores his dad managed. As a adult, Edd would put his butcher skills to use by cutting large pieces of meat into family-size portions to be stored in the freezer for future use.

In 1954, he enlisted in the Marine Corps. While in the marines he earned a bachelor’s degree in electronic engineering from the University of La Verne in California. Edd served in the Marine Corps for 23 years. He was stationed at various military bases in the United States and abroad and served in Vietnam. In 1976, while stationed in Okinawa, Japan, Edd brought Kay and their daughters, Terri and Karen, to join him for the year. The family’s time there proved to be an adventure-filled chapter in their lives. Three years later, when Edd was a captain stationed in Camarillo, California, he retired from the military.

In 1979, the Waltrip family moved to Plano, Texas where Edd started a job at Texas Instruments. The Waltrip’s joined Hunters Glen Baptist Church and were among the church’s founding families. In 1991, Edd took a job with Raytheon and he and Kay moved to Lexington, Kentucky.

In 2001, following Edd’s retirement, Edd and Kay moved back to Plano to be near their kids and grandkids. The couple rejoined Hunters Glen Baptist Church and Edd joined Texas Baptist Men—now called Texans on Mission—and with great joy, led by his servant’s heart, he went on many national and international trips. He worked on the disaster relief team which could include serving meals, working on the chainsaw team to remove debris and fallen trees and cleaning out and repairing homes damaged by floods and fire. He also worked on the water impact team where he installed water purification systems. Edd always had his Texas Baptist Men “go-bag” packed and was eager to say yes when needs arose in east Texas, Arkansas, Sri Lanka, Africa and many points in between.

When home, Edd didn’t stop serving and could often be found flipping pancakes for the church’s men’s group weekly breakfast, helping widows with household repairs or volunteering at Baylor Regional hospital in Plano.

Edd and Kay enjoyed traveling together during pre- and post-retirement. They took many road trips and visited all 50 states. They also made fun memories while on cruises and on a European vacation.

Edd was very artistic and could often be found woodworking and painting in his free time. His six grandchildren all spent time with “Papa” building custom projects based on each grandchild’s interest.

Edd will always be remembered for his Christian faith, servant’s heart, love of family, loyalty, reliability and sense of humor. His family often judged his level of health by whether he was teasing the medical staff or not. If he was feeling good to “middling”, as he would say, the staff were in for good-humored ribbing.

Edd leaves behind not only a family who loves him deeply, but also countless people whose lives were made better because of him. He will be forever cherished by those who had the privilege of calling him husband, dad, papa, “Edd”, “Eddie”, “Edward”, “Mr. Waltrip” and friend.

Edd is survived by his beloved wife of 63 years, Kay; his daughters, Terri Kropp and husband Todd of Plano, Texas and Karen Chaney and her husband John of Murphy, Texas; grandchildren Scott King and his wife Keriann, Kelsey Humphrey and her husband Doug, Tori Crow and her husband Cameron, Bailey McKeig and her husband Ben, Jeremy Chaney, Keith Chaney and his wife Kaitlin; great grandchildren Emory, Evans and Easton King and Liam, Eloise, Charlotte and Gweneviere Humphrey; and brother Phil Waltrip and his wife Brenda. Edd was preceded in death by his parents Albert and Elizabeth (Shealy) Waltrip and brother Larry Waltrip.

There will be a Celebration of Life Service at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at Hunter’s Glen Baptist Church, Plano, Texas. A family viewing will be held at 9 a.m. followed by friends’ visitation at 9:15 a.m.

Edd will be laid to rest with military honors at the Dallas/Ft Worth National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you honor Edd’s missionary spirit and lifelong commitment to helping others by making a memorial donation to Texans on Mission, 5351 Catron Dr. Dallas, Texas 75227 https://www.texansonmission.org/