In Loving Memory ofEthel Catherine Walker

February 2, 1931 - June 7, 2025

Ethel Catherine Walker, age 94, of Chandler, Arizona, passed away peacefully on June 7, 2025.

Ethel was born in Orange, New Jersey, and graduated from Lyndhurst High School in 1948. She pursued her dream of becoming a nurse and attended college in Brooklyn, New York, graduating in 1951 as a Registered Nurse.

When she became engaged to her beloved husband, LCDR Robert O. Walker, he promised, "Marry me and I'll show you the world." And so it began. They were married on February 9, 1951, in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. Through Robert's Navy service, they traveled the globe – living in Portugal, Pennsylvania, Maine, Rhode Island, Virginia, South Carolina, Florida, and California. While Robert was away on duty, Ethel raised their five children with unmatched strength, grace, and love.

As her children grew older, Ethel returned to her nursing career, focusing on maternity care and working closely with expectant mothers and newborns. She later became a Lamaze instructor, helping women give birth without medications – just as she had done with all five of her own children.

Ethel was an artist at heart. Her hobbies included painting, cross-stitching, gardening, and sewing – her flower beds were vibrant and beautiful. She also found joy in giving back: as part of the organization Heads at Ease, she sewed over 7,000 pillowcases for deployed military members.

After Robert retired from the Navy, the couple purchased a motorhome and spent more than 30 years traveling across the United States, visiting friends and family, and exploring scenic destinations. They lovingly took their grandchildren on summer road trips, making memories that would last generations. In 2006, they decided to settle down and purchased a cozy home in Show Low, Arizona – a place Ethel lovingly called her “Utopia.”

In her later years, Ethel moved into a retirement community where she remained active and full of life. She attended water aerobics three times a week, played Bingo, and continued to paint. At age 91, she even skydived, a perfect testament to her fearless and adventurous spirit.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, LCDR Robert O. Walker; her daughter, Michelle Lynn Walker; her parents, William and Mary Williamson; and her brother, David Williamson.

She is survived by her loving family:

• Son Michael and his wife Conna; daughter Catherine and her husband Ty, and their children: great-grandchildren Nolan and Bennett; and son Christopher
• Daughter Kimberly; grandson Jason; great-granddaughters Ashleigh (and husband Keanu, great-great-granddaughters Nova and Raine) and Lindsay
• Son Christopher and wife Carolynn; grandson Nicholas (and wife Jordyn); granddaughter Harmony
• Daughter Sharon and husband Terry; granddaughter Jessica (and husband Dustin); grandsons Brett and Donovan; granddaughter Kristin (and husband David)
• Granddaughters Lauren Hernandez and Raquel Hernandez, daughters of her late daughter Michelle

Ethel’s legacy is one of love, courage, generosity, and family. Her life touched so many, and her spirit lives on in the memories and hearts of everyone who knew her.

She will be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery, reunited with her beloved Robert in a place of honor.

Celebration of LifeSaturday, October 25, 20252:00 PM – 5:00 PMSunBird Clubhouse, Chandler, Arizona

"To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die."– Thomas Campbell