William O. Walker's Obituary
William "Bill" Oakland Walker passed away peacefully in his sleep and joined our heavenly Father on October 5, 2011 at the age of 82.
Bill was born in Seaside, Oregon on July 7, 1929 to Charles Oakland and Lephia Donnelson Walker. At the age of 3 the family moved to the St. Helens area where he attended local schools. As a youth, Bill was an Eagle Scout and a Sea Scouts.
Bill married his wife of 56 years, Virginia Clark at the First Christian Church in St. Helens on June 1, 1956; where they lived and raised their family.
He began working at Dante & Russel Company in St. Helens in 1947 which became the Fir Tex Co. In 1948 Bill enlisted in the US Navy during the Korean War. He was assigned to the USS Prairie where he flew helicopters, was a gunner, and received a sharp shooters award. He was honorably discharged in 1952. He returned to work at the Fir Tex Co Owens Corning where he was employed for 33 years. Most recently he worked at Columbia Steel Castings in Portland, Oregon, until retiring in 1995. He was an honest, hard working man all of his life and never missed a day of work.
During Bill's youth he was a member of St. Helens LDS Church. As an adult he attended various local churches before becoming a member of Grace Baptist Church for the last 20 years. He was a devoted Christian all his live. He was a member of the VFW, the Traveling Beavers Travel Club, the NRA and various other clubs along the way.
He loved traveling, clamming, camping, hunting, fishing though he rarely caught a fish woodworking and shooting the . . . . breeze and guns. He was very devoted to God, his family and the NRA.
He dreamed of winning the lottery, but never bought a ticket. He had a "Tuff Guy" exterior but was a soft marsh mellow on the inside with a heart of gold. He was the epitome of a good man, and loved a good practical joke. His family meant everything to him and he will be dearly missed.
Survivors include: his Wife of 56 years, Virginia Walker of St. Helens; 2 Daughters & Spouses: Lynn Gutbezahl John of Portland, and Kyle Whalen Mike of Columbia City; 6 Grandchildren: Derek Heather, Jared, Kevin, Luke, Alexis, and Oliver; 2 Great Grandchildren: Kofi & Booker. He was preceded in death by his Granddaughter, Ali Rose.
Military Honor Guard, Service and Interment: Willamette National Cemetery-Portland, OR. Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at 11:00 AM with reception to follow.
Memorial contributions may be made to Grace Baptist Church Memorial Fund.
On-line condolences may be sent to the family at www.columbiafh.com
Columbia Funeral Home-Directors
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