LAWANA WALTERS

Lawana Fisher Walters, 88, of New York, N.Y., died Monday, March 5, 2001, at St. Clare's Hospital in New York.

She was born Sept. 20, 1912, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Ernest Greenleaf and Chloe Alice Kassel Fisher. She married Don Wagner Walters Dec. 29, 1936, in St. Louis. He preceded her in death March 3, 1980, in Cape Girardeau.

Mrs. Walters was a graduate of Cape Central High School, and attended Southeast Missouri State University where she was a member of the Black Mask. She taught dance in a local dance studio when she was 16. She was Miss Fox Theater in 1932-33.

She is related to the Kassel and Fisher families of Cape Girardeau, and the Wagner and Walters families of Jackson, Mo. She moved away from Cape Girardeau in 1941, after her husband joined the FBI, and lived all around the country. She returned to Cape in 1978.

Mrs. Walters was an actress in theater, film and television. In theater she worked more than 45 years, having acted many roles in numerous theaters around the United States. Some of those productions were "Calculated Risk," starring Dana Andrews; "The Would-Be Gentleman," "Pygmalion," "My Three Angels," "Inherit the Wind," "The Diary of Anne Frank," "Barefoot in Athens," "Roshoman," "Teahouse of the August Moon," "Ring Around the Moon," "Deidre of the Sorrows," and "The Cherry Orchard," in which she played Madame Ranevskaya Lubov, which was her favorite role.

Her film roles included parts in United Artists "Semi-Tough" with Burt Reynolds, MGM/UA's "The Champ" with Jon Voight, and American Film System's "The Abused Child." Other credits include parts in a number of television commercials, as well as industrial films for Hallmark Cards, Marion Laboratories, and Sprint. She was also in the syndicated television show "People Do the Craziest Things" with Bert Convy.

Mrs. Walters was a member of Screen Actors Guild, Actors Equity and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

Survivors include a son, Don Wagner Walters II of New York City; a daughter, Leslie Jane Walters Ghammashi of Kansas City, Mo.; a sister, Margaret Loiselle Ellis of Charleston, Mo.; three grandchildren, Jihad, Jamal and Barbara Ghammashi; and two great-grandchildren, Joseph and Sean Ghammashi.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by a brother, Elwood Vincent Fisher.

There will be a graveside memorial service for Mrs. Walters at 1 p.m. Sunday, May 13, 2001, at Cape County Memorial Park.

Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.