Wallis “Wally” Warren Wells, 86, passed away on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, at the Fort Meade VA Medical Center in Sturgis.

Interment will be held at Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis at a later date.  A celebration of his life is planned for July 19, in Woonsocket. His online guestbook is at blackhillsfuneralhome.com.

He was born July 19, 1938 to Charles and Claribel Wells in Woonsocket. When his mother moved to Canton in 1950, he stayed with Oscar and Georgie Strand in rural Woonsocket where he attended school and graduated from Woonsocket High in 1958. He excelled in every sport during his time in school, setting several school records in football, baseball, track, and basketball and receiving several All-State Honors. He received a full athletic scholarship to the University of South Dakota to play football. In 1960, he joined the Air Force and was stationed at Lackland AFB in Texas where he met and married Gayle Boyd.  They had two children, Taffey (George) Iskandar and Tab (Esther) Wells.  In 1972, he married Phyllis Loecker, and they had four children, Jeff (Lisa) Loecker-Wells, Shanna (Jeff) Warden, Jeremy (Amanda) Wells and Chris (Loni) Wells.  He married Cheryll Jenniges in 2022 after many  years of partnership together.

Over the years, he had several careers including sales and as a small business owner. He enjoyed being outdoors tending to his cows and horses and returning to his roots in Woonsocket each summer.

Wally is survived by his wife, Cheryll Jenniges-Wells; sisters, Bonnie (Roland) Dant and Betty (Tom) Wolterman; all his children, 16 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Lyle; and sisters, Rita, Esther, and Darlene.