Baylor Mourns Passing of Business Communications Professor
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WACO, Texas (March 14, 2023) – Baylor University is mourning the death of Randall Lionel Waller, Ph.D., clinical associate professor in the Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics in the Hankamer School of Business, who went to be with his Lord and Savior on March 11. He was 74.
Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 15, at Oakwood Cemetery in Waco, Texas. OakCrest Funeral Home, 4520 Bosque Blvd., Waco, Texas, is in charge of arrangements.
Dr. Waller joined the Baylor faculty in 1988 and taught for 34 years in the Hankamer School of Business. He was to retire in May.
“A committed educator, Randy Waller taught with excellence, even when undergoing cancer treatments,” said Jonathan Trower, Ph.D., chair and associate professor of information systems and business analytics. “A scholar of rhetoric, he practiced his art with a quick and skillful wit. A dear colleague and friend, his love for the Lord encouraged us all. He will be greatly missed and fondly remembered.”
Dr. Waller earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from Texas Tech University, a master’s degree in English from West Texas State University and his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University. He taught English at Texas State University before moving to Waco in 1981, when he joined the English department at McLennan Community College.
Dr. Waller’s greatest joys in life were spending time and taking vacations with his wife and three grandchildren. He enjoyed eating out as well as shopping for the perfect suit and tie for the classroom, listening to music from Motown’s greatest hits to country, shooting skeet recreationally, watching movies with his son-in-law, coaching both of his children in sports and refereeing soccer. He was a lifelong “student” of history and was proud to share that love with his daughter. He and his wife were longtime members of First Methodist Church.
He was proceeded in death by his son, Patrick, and sister, Cindy.
Dr. Waller is survived by his wife, Karen; daughter, Jennifer Prentice and husband Shamarr of San Antonio; daughter-in-law, Brenda Waller of Waco; three loving sisters, Mary, Pam and Lisa; sister-in-law, Latricia Polk of Lubbock, and three grandchildren, Tatum, Ty, and Caroline. He also leaves behind a host of additional family and friends, and many grateful students.
Memorials may be made to the THRU Project, 8103 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.
ABOUT THE HANKAMER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business strives to further God’s kingdom through the realm of business, using God-given gifts and academic talents to do so. Faculty and students conduct purposeful research and participate in experiential learning opportunities, all while operating in a Christ-centered mission. Undergraduate students can choose from 13 major areas of study. Graduate students can earn their MBA on their terms, either through the full-time, online or a Dallas-based executive program. The Business School also offers three Ph.D. programs in Information Systems, Entrepreneurship or Health Services Research. The School’s top-ranked programs make up approximately 25% of the University’s total enrollment. Visit hankamer.baylor.edu for more information.