Alva Donald Stallings

Rocky Mount, NC — Alva Donald Stallings, affectionately known to many as “Don,” “Big D.” “Coal Bucket,” and “Bigger and Better,” passed peacefully on June 9, 2026 at the age of 87.

Don was not known to do anything halfway – always “Bigger and Better.” His big life in business, philanthropy, community, and family leaves a permanent mark on countless lives, including many he never met.

Don was born in Rocky Mount on November 18, 1938. He was the youngest child of Alva Randolph Stallings and Mabel Saunders Stallings. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, William Randolph Stallings; his sister, June Stallings Shearin; his brother-in-law, Hugh Gaither Shearin; and his beloved stepson, William Edward “Eddie” Evans, Jr., whose lifelong battle with a congenital heart defect deeply inspired Don and his family.

Don is survived by the love of his life and partner of 45 years, his wife Billie J. Stallings; his stepson, James Herbert “Herb” Evans; and his two cherished grandsons, Connor Stallings Evans and Edward Preston Evans, who adoringly called him “Big D.” He is also remembered fondly by an extended family of nieces, nephews, and dear friends.

From a young age, Don’s parents taught him the values of family, commitment to God, and hard work. He spent childhood Fridays and Saturdays pumping gas and working at his father’s Coal and Ice business on Ricks Street. It was during his time in Boy Scout Troop 113 that 12-year-old Don arrived at a camporee covered in coal dust, earning the moniker “Coal Bucket.” The nickname followed him from childhood to the NFL and beyond.

An exceptional athlete, Don graduated from Rocky Mount Senior High in 1956, where he lettered in football, basketball, and baseball. His talent on the gridiron earned a scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was recruited by the legendary Jim Tatum. Don was a Tar Heel All-American, playing on both the offensive and defensive lines, and earning a spot on the 1960 college All-Star squad which played against the NFL’s Baltimore Colts. His experience at UNC cemented a lifelong, “blue blood” devotion to the university. After being drafted by and signed with the Washington Redskins, Don chose to walk away from professional football when his father fell ill, returning home to run the family business.

That decision launched an extraordinary business career. Don built upon his father’s legacy, leading Stallings Oil Company and Zip Mart, and eventually owning truck stops along the East Coast. In 1968, he founded Eagle Transport Corporation, which he grew into one of the nation’s largest petroleum and chemical tank line companies. He held successful interests in Super Flame Gas Company and a network of motorcycle dealerships. Don served as chairman of the National Association of Truckstop Operators and as a board member of the National Tank Truck Carriers. His secret to success was simple: he believed in hiring people smarter than himself, treating them like family, and trusting them to lead.

Don bled Carolina Blue. He served on the UNC Board of Trustees (2001-2009) and chaired the UNC Educational Foundation (“the Rams Club”) in 1998-1999. Don and Billie endowed professorships in the School of Dentistry and School of Exercise and Sport Science as well as a distinguished Professorship in Congenital Heart Disease. Their combined legacy lives on at UNC’s Stallings-Evans Sports Medicine Center and the Don and Billie Stallings Adult Congenital Heart Clinic, inspired by the life of Eddie. In 2014, Don and Billie received the William Richardson Davie Award, the UNC Board of Trustees highest alumni honor, acknowledging extraordinary service and dedication to the university and society.

Despite his success, Don never outgrew his hometown. He poured his heart into Rocky Mount. As a volunteer, he coached the Rocky Mount Senior High School football team’s offensive line in 1962 and1963, winning the State 4-A Championship both years.  He was a member of Lakeside Baptist Church and made a generous lead contribution toward the church’s pipe organ. He served as a board member for the Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce, Communities in Schools, Rocky Mount Area Community Foundation, and the Rocky Mount Family YMCA and on the Board of Trustees and the Executive Board for North Carolina Wesleyan College. Don was a Founding Director of First Carolina Bank in 2012. He worked closely with the Carolinas Gateway Partnership. Don was named Boy Scout Man of the Year in 2015, and Rocky Mount Chamber of Commerce’s Distinguished Citizen of the Year. In 2021, he was inducted into the Twin County Hall of Fame.

“Bigger and Better” was also known for his larger-than-life adventures. He traveled countless harbors, foreign and domestic, fishing the Sea Eagle. A fierce competitor, Don fished the Big Rock spanning four decades and was a two-time winner of the prestigious Invitational Masters Angler Tournament in 2000 and 2004.  Whether he was deer hunting in Bertie County, crisscrossing the country via motorcoach, logging hours in the cockpit, or sharing stories and Cohibas cigars with friends, Don lived fully. Yet, for all his grand adventures, nothing mattered more to him than family. He was the ultimate “Big D” to his grandsons, sharing with them his love for the outdoors and his lessons for a life well-lived.

Don Stallings will be remembered for his year-round bronzed skin, intuitive business mind and bold risk-taking, the loyal friendship he offered so freely, and his massive presence in every way. Like the gravel paths of his beloved Chapel Hill, the bigness and grit of Don Stallings got into the shoes of everyone who knew him, and countless others who did not but who will continue to benefit from his generosity. Through this, the Coal Bucket, Big D, and Bigger and Better legacy lives on to impact lives forever.

The family will receive visitors in their home on Friday, June 12, 2026, between 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

A Funeral Service to celebrate Don’s life will be held on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at 2:00 PM at Lakeside Church, 1501 Sunset Ave, Rocky Mount, NC 27804.  Burial will follow the service at Rocky Mount Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Don’s memory to UNC Health Foundation, 123 West Franklin Street, Ste. 510, Chapel Hill, NC 27516 (Memo: Don and Billie Stallings Adult Congenital Heart) or Lakeside Church, 1501 Sunset Road, Rocky Mount, NC, 27804.

Arrangements entrusted to Wheeler & Woodlief Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 1130 N. Winstead Avenue, Rocky Mount, NC 27804.  You may share memories and condolences with the family by visiting www.wheelerwoodlief.com.