Cheryl Laird Wall Trimarchi

Cheryl Laird Wall Trimarchi, 80, peacefully passed away at her home, Saturday, February 3, 2024. A descendant of pioneer Clay County families, she was born November 14, 1943, in San Antonio, Texas, where her parents lived on the U. S. Army Airforce Base. She was raised in Jonesboro and graduated from Jonesboro High School in 1961. She graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas in 1965. She was a member of the Alpha Delta Pi Sorority. Post-graduate she studied art at L’Accademia Delle Belle Arte in Florence, Italy from 1965-67. She earned a Masters in Fine Arts at the University of Nebraska in 1982.

She devoted her life to her family and friends, her professional art and the family businesses. She was a life-long, fourth-generation member of the First United Methodist Church and would be pleased to know her funeral will be in her church. In college, she was social chair and rush chair in Alpha Zeta Chapter of the Alpha Delta Pi Sorority at SMU. Her friends said her presence, influence and enthusiasm as a leader in their chapter was infectious. She also models clothes at the Dallas Market Center for well-known designers. In the 1970s she was active in Junior Auxiliary, the Foundation of the Arts, and Rotary International Student Exchange Program, hosting Japanese students in her home. She created the ink illustrations for Walls Department Store fashion ads in the Jonesboro Sun. In the 1980s she was active in Amnesty International, the ASU Foreign Films Society, and the Food Co-op. Beginning in the 1990s she became a Rotarian herself and was proud of working on the development of Rotary Park.

As a professional artist, she practiced consistently for twenty years after receiving her MFA, with paintings in over 60 exhibitions, and with more than 25 pieces in permanent collections of galleries, museums, corporate offices including HBO and Hallmark Cards, and personal collections across the country. She also taught Fine Arts Visual Classes at Arkansas State University as an adjunct professor. In her artist statement she says she “creates paintings about possibilities rather than limitations . . . anticipating the moment when everything – shape, color, space, light, gesture, experience, intellect, and emotion – converges to celebrate life.”

After her parents passed, she took over Walls Rentals and Investments. She was a natural businesswoman, taking care of properties, managing the books and working closely with tenants to provide opportunities for small businesses in town.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, she led an active social life, enjoyed cooking, traveling, live music, theater, hosting parties and visiting with her friends here in town and all over the world. She adored her grandchildren and was present in their lives even though they live out of town. Her greatest pride and achievement was the raising of her two daughters who were the loves of her life.

Survivors include two daughters, Stephanie Martha Trimarchi Giesecke of Arlington, VA, and Felicia Giulia Trimarchi Hart of Little Rock; four grandchildren John Maximus Giesecke and Sebastian Wall Giesecke of Arlington, VA, and Olivia Cheryl Louise Hart and Giorgia Stephanie Louise Hart of Little Rock; nephew Kyle Bryant Hendricks of Los Angeles, CA; her Laird family cousins; sister-in-law Mariella Trimarchi Bisogni, niece Maria Louisa Bisogni Fattibene and nephew Giovanni Battistia Bisogni of Italy; and many friends around the world that were like family to her.

She was preceded in death by her parents Martha Laird Wall and Homer Bryant Wall, and her sister Janet Yates Wall Hendricks.

A memorial service to honor Cheryl’s life will be held on Saturday, February 10, 2024, at First United Methodist Church, commencing at 2:00 p.m. Prior to the service, visitation will be held from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. with Rev. Dr. Michael Roberts and Rev. Hammett Evans officiating. Eulogy will be given by Burgess Laird. Emerson Funeral Home of Jonesboro oversees arrangements. Honorary pallbearers will be Lyle Laird, Andy Peeler, Ian Hart, Mark Osborn, Kyle Hendricks, Max and Sebastian Giesecke, and Olivia and Giorgia Hart.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to one of her many favorite charities, including Amnesty International, Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas, ASU Theater Guild, Foundation of the Arts, Rotary Foundation, UNICEF, Heffer International, Save the Children, ASU Delta Print Show or a memorial of your choice to honor her interests.