Fred Walker

Colonel Fred Livingood Walker, Jr. (USA Ret) was born May 11, 1915 at his mother’s family home in Columbus, Ohio. He died on December 21, 2012, due to an accident, at the age of 97 in Tucson, AZ. His parents were Major General Fred L. Walker (USA Ret) and Francis Messmore Walker. Fred as a child accompanied his parents to various military posts including Camp Stephen B. Little in Nogales, AZ. After graduating from Shattuck High School in Minnesota he received a Presidential appointment to West Point, graduating in 1936 as an infantry officer. Fred was stationed at various posts in the US and then in 1941 was stationed at Schofield Barracks with the 27th Infantry Regiment as a Major. He was living there during the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. Fred was later reassigned from the Pacific Theater to the European Theater as a Lt. Colonel commanding the First Battalion of the 143rd Infantry Regiment which received a Presidential Unit Citation for its part in preventing German reoccupation of the 36th Division beach landing in Italy. In later action Fred also received a Silver Star for gallantry while engaged in military action on the way to Rome. He retired in 1966 to Carmel Valley, CA where he finally had time to pursue his many interests over the years, which included painting, writing, teaching and mainly the study of cosmology. He wrote several articles for astrophysics and cosmology journals. He is survived by his wife, Jean Wasung Walker; his children Fred L. Walker, III of Purcellville, VA, Carolyn W. Wilson of Davidsonville, MD and Katheryn W. Ruiz of Gilroy, CA.; and his step-daughter Nancy Finlan Jett of Tucson, AZ. Fred is preceded in death by wife Dorothy Virginia Walker, wife Isabelle Mills Walker, and son James Riley Walker of Rohnert Park, CA. There are 9 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at the Angel Valley Funeral Home in Tucson, AZ on February 11, 2013 at 10:30AM.