Tony Marie Prosser

Tony Marie (Walker) Prosser, 83, died Saturday, March 21, 2026.

Funeral services are Saturday, March 28, 2026, at 11 a.m. at McKenzie First Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

Tony was born in Rutherford, Tennessee, on August 15, 1942, to Edgar Jewell Walker and Twila Boyett Walker. She graduated from Rutherford High School, where she was active in basketball and was voted “Most Likely to Succeed.” She later attended Bethel College on a piano scholarship, where she was actively involved in campus life. She graduated from Bethel College in 1963 with a degree in Education.

In 1963, Tony married Dr. Robert (Bob) Dale Prosser, who served over 15 years in the ministry, primarily serving the McKenzie First Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Together, they built a life centered on family, faith and education. Later, during Bob’s 15-year tenure as President of Bethel University, Tony faithfully served alongside him as Director of Institutional Advancement.

Tony dedicated her career to education and service. She taught middle school at E.W. Grove High School and high school at McKenzie High School before continuing her work in higher education and nonprofit leadership. She served as Director of Institutional Effectiveness at Bethel University and also worked with the Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association and Memphis Theological Seminary.

Tony was a lifelong member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and her faith was a guiding force in her life. She was also a devoted mother and grandmother, and she was equally at ease sliding down a hill on a sled with her grandchildren as she was leading major development drives. She and her husband, Bob, enjoyed spending time at the lake, and together they introduced their children to a love of nature and water through their shared spirit of adventure. In her spare time, she enjoyed playing the piano, working sudoku puzzles, and, most of all, spending time with her grandchildren and her beloved dog, Molly.

She is survived by her children, Steve Prosser and his wife, Rina, of Henry and Cynthia Bowker and her husband, Scott, of Nashville; her brother, James Elliot Walker and his wife, Brenda, of Salisbury, North Carolina; seven grandchildren, Colby (Hannah Burnett) Prosser, Shelby (Andrew) Shankle, Luke (Nora) Prosser, Abbey (Cole Williams) Prosser, Joshua Nienaber, Zachary Nienaber and Sarabeth Nienaber; and four great-grandchildren, Boone Shankle, Sawyer Hampton, Haylen Shankle and Reid Burnett.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Dr. Robert (Bob) D. Prosser.

Tony will be deeply missed by her family, her friends and those who knew and loved her.