Edmund Arnold Waller

Edmund Arnold Waller, 88, of Gainesville, Georgia passed away peacefully July 1, 2020 at his residence following a short period of declining health.  

Edmund was born February 12, 1932 in Atlanta, Georgia the son of Cecil Rhodes Waller and Floride Ryan Waller. He was a true Buckhead boy, growing up in Garden Hills and graduated from North Fulton High School. Following in his father’s footsteps, he attended Georgia Institute of Technology where he was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity. He graduated in 1953 with a degree in Industrial Management and immediately entered the Army as a first lieutenant during the Korean War where he served as a member of the Staff and Faculty of the Chemical Corps School.   

Following his discharge from the Army, Edmund was employed by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in Atlanta, Georgia.  While working at Lockheed, he decided to pursue a law degree and attended the John Marshall School of Law, graduating in 1958. While employed at Lockheed and attending law school he met and fell in love with Anne Emmert of College Park, Georgia. The two were married in 1959 and moved to Gainesville, Georgia when he was transferred to the Lockheed Nuclear Laboratory in Dawson County.   

In 1960, Edmund resigned from Lockheed and joined the First National Bank of Gainesville as its Vice President and Trust Officer. He was assigned the large task of starting the first Trust Department in northeast Georgia and enjoyed many fulfilling years in the banking industry working at the local and state level.  In 1969, he had the honor of being invited by then Representative Phil Landrum to come to Washington, D.C. with 11 other lawyers from Northeast Georgia. Representative Landrum presented them to the United States Supreme Court, and they were accepted to argue cases before the Court.  In 1974, he was asked to join the Gainesville law firm of Robinson, Harben and Armstrong as a partner and several years later he established his own law firm under the name Edmund A. Waller & Associates with an office on Spring Street. He worked there for over twenty-five years until his retirement in 2004. He was a member of the State Bar of Georgia and was recognized for serving over fifty years in the law profession. Additionally, he was a member of Sigma Delta Kappa legal fraternity and the Gainesville Northeastern Bar Association where he served for three years as Secretary – Treasurer.  

Edmund loved the Gainesville community and was an active member serving on numerous committees and boards including the Northeast Council of the Boy Scouts of America, the American Red Cross, American Cancer Society, March of Dimes, Gainesville Kiwanis Club and the Trust Division of the Georgia Bankers Association. He was a proud Yellow Jacket and served as a three-time Co- Chairman of the Joint Tech – Georgia Development Fund. The Georgia Tech Alumni Association also recognized him for fifty years of service as well as several years as head of the local alumni chapter.  He especially enjoyed coaching Little League baseball for Gainesville Park and Recreation and loved working with young people. Edmund was a member of First Presbyterian Church where he served as a deacon. He was also a long-time member of the Chattahoochee Country Club. 

His family will remember him as a loving husband, wonderful father, doting grandfather, and a true southern gentleman. Besides the Yellow Jackets, he loved the Atlanta Falcons, the Varsity, ice cold martinis, the great game of golf and Saturday mornings at Longstreet Café with his friends. Edmund loved to document his family’s life and left many wonderful films and scrapbooks for them to enjoy filled with cross country road trips, special occasions and celebrations. He delighted in his grandchildren and loved attending whatever game, performance or activity they were involved in. He loved well and will be greatly missed.  

He is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Anne Emmert Waller; daughter and son in law Carolyn Waller and Harry Bagwell, son and daughter in law Edmund Arnold Waller, Jr. and Elisabeth; and four grandchildren Suzanne Emmert Bagwell, James Franklin Bagwell, Dawson Rhodes Waller and Anne Ryan Waller.  

The family plans to hold a private service at First Presbyterian Church in Gainesville, Georgia.  In lieu of flowers donations honoring Edmund’s life can be made to First Presbyterian Church, 800 South Enota Drive, Gainesville, Ga. 30501; Eagle Ranch, P.O. Box 7200 Chestnut Mountain, GA 30502 / 5500 Union Church Road, Flowery Branch Ga. 30542; or Lakeview Academy, 796 Lakeview Drive, Gainesville, Ga. 30501. 

Memorial Park Funeral Home North Riverside Chapel, 989 Riverside Dr. is in charge of arrangements.

Send online condolences to www.memorialparkfuneralhomes.com.