Warren F. Walker Jr.

Warren F. Walker Jr. died May 23, 2013, at South County Hospital in Wakefield, R.I., just a year to the day following the death of his beloved spouse, Tensy Walker.
His health had been quite good up until early March of this year, but he struggled for the last couple of months with a number of health issues, which finally brought his very long and full life to a peaceful end.
Born Sept. 27, 1918, in Malden, Mass., he was the only child of Warren F. Walker Sr., a mining geologist and his wife Ada (née Miner).
He spent part of his early years at his grandparents' home in Malden, later moving with his parents to mining settlements in the Andes of Peru. He eventually returned to Malden to live at the home of his uncle and aunt, Carl and Mary Geiler, and their daughter Betty, while he attended first the Fenn School and then Browne and Nichols.
From an early age, he was drawn to the natural world, collecting whatever animals he could catch. He remained in the Boston area for his higher education, attending Harvard for both his undergraduate degree, a bachelor of sceince in 1941, and his Ph.D., which he completed in 1946.
On June 24, 1944, he married Hortense B. Allen at her home in Longmeadow, Mass., who was completing her M.A. in biology at Radcliffe College. Once Warren completed his degree, he worked as an instructor of anatomy at the Boston University Medical School, and in 1947 he was hired as an instructor of zoology at Oberlin College, where he remained until his retirement in 1985 as a professor of biology, having served as department chairman for eight years and as acting provost for one and a half years. His area of specialization was comparative anatomy and his writings include a number of textbooks and dissection manuals. He had a particular interest in turtle locomotion, especially as related to muscular development, leading not only to family jokes but also to interesting research trips to Jamaica, England, the Netherlands, Germany, the Galápagos Islands, New Zealand, and Australia.
Warren and Tensy had four children. Ted was born in Cambridge, Mass., and Hal, Sue, and Carol were all born in Oberlin.
In 1986, Warren and Tensy moved to Ossipee, N.H., to the farm house that his parents and uncle, Henry Walker, acquired in the 1930s to have as a home base in the United States. They lived in Ossipee until 2009 and valued their connections to the community there.
At various times, Warren served as treasurer of the Ossipee Historical Society and as deacon and moderator of the Water Village Community Church. He also valued his friendships with the Monday morning coffee group. Reflecting his lifelong interests as a naturalist, he served as president of the Lakes Region Chapter of the Audubon Society of New Hampshire for six years. He was very active in the Appalachian Mountain Club, serving as a volunteer naturalist at the huts for 12 years and as a volunteer and naturalist at the Highland Center starting in 2004. In addition, Warren and Tensy were active members of the Over the Hill Hikers group. He also served for a number of years on the conservation commission of the town of Ossipee and was very involved in helping to establish the Window on the Ossipee Mountains overlook. He passed his love for the mountains on not only to his family but to many others.
As age began to catch up with them, Warren and Tensy moved in 2009 to an independent living apartment at Sugar Hill in Wolfeboro, N.H., and then in 2010 to Brightview Commons in Wakefield, R.I., where they could be close to Hal's family.
They are survived by their children, Edward A. Walker of Solomons, Md., Henry A. Walker of Wakefield, R.I., and Susan W. Friedman and Carol W. Camargo, both of State College, Pa.; five of their six grandchildren, and one great grandchild.
A memorial service will be held at the Water Village Community Church on Saturday, June 29 at 11 a.m. with gathering music before and a reception afterward.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations could be made to the Appalachian Mountain Club, the Ossipee Historical Society, or a charity of the donor's choice.