Gordon Woods WALKER

GORDON WOODS WALKER In his eighty-first year With great sadness we report that Gordon left us on March 5, 2021, in Naples, Florida. He was born into a uniquely close-knit Toronto family where a crowd of relatives watched over him intently from the start. High scholastic achievement and athletic excellence were expected as was strict obedience. He had no problem with the first two as he had an inherent thirst for knowledge, inborn competitive drive and high athletic ability. But he was adventurous and self-directed so he consistently came up short in the obedience department although he later was much admired for his individuality, drive, charm and achievements. At age 5 his parents delivered him and his younger sister to Camp Hole in the Hedge for a 2 week sojourn, the prospect of which was highly resisted from the outset. After protracted goodbyes and instructions to the director, his parents departed totally unaware that they were going to be returning with a stowaway under a blanket in the back seat. At age 6, at Parents' Day at Camp Onandaga, his mother was startled to hear the exasperated announcement, "Next is Gordon Walker. He will swim as far as he wants." He excelled in school seemingly effortlessly. He was a proud graduate of Branksome Hall Nursery School, Upper Canada College and Trinity College, U of T, ( Honours Political Science and Economics 6T2). He then moved on to Chicago where he earned an MBA from Northwestern. There he met and married Jill Jorgenson of Winnetka, Illinois and welcomed his two sons, Douglas and Britton. He returned to Chicago to study for a second MBA at the University of Chicago, graduating Summa Cum Laude. He participated in all sorts of competitive activities and he always played to win. At Stony Lake he partnered with Tom Guillet racing his International 14. Together they won a national championship. He was a Gold Life Master in bridge and often said that it should be an Olympic sport. His devotion to his exotic cars produced nine Pro Solo Canadian championships in car racing. He was devoted to his two sons, Douglas and Britton, and he brought them to the family cottage every summer during their childhood where he introduced them to all the activities and places he loved. These visits allowed them to maintain contact with their 8 male Canadian cousins and cemented family bonds. Those were exciting times ! Family was central to Gordon's being. The traumatic loss of his remarkable and idolized father at age 57 during a sailing race was a shock he never fully overcame but it elevated him to the rank of adviser to his mother whom he deeply loved. He was thoughtful, reliable and generous. Gordon suffered from a rare and serious allergy to cold which ultimately required him to seek a warmer climate. Thus he became a resident of Pelican Marsh, Naples, Florida, following his retirement from Imperial Oil in Toronto. For 15 years he served as a dedicated member of the Board of Supervisors of the Pelican Marsh Development and was universally appreciated for his professionalism. In his later years his Super Seniors tennis team took second place nationally. It was here that he married his longtime companion and love of his life, Janet Boulet. He was happily absorbed into her large family and they all enjoyed touring the world together on cruises arranged and negotiated by Gordon. Latterly, his activities were restricted by incipient Alzheimer's. He was hospitalized in late February with pneumonia and heart failure. This resulted in a move to Hospice where he left us on March 5th . He would certainly have thought he had "dodged a bullet" with his quiet and dignified exit. His memory will be kept alive as the family retells the stories of his amazing exploits. He leaves his adored wife Janet, sons Douglas and Britton, grandsons Shaun and Solomon, sisters Hilary and Mary and seven nephews. He was predeceased by his parents Bill and Kay Walker (Pendleton), and by his brother Hugh and nephew Jim. Private Remembrance to be held.