David Lynn Walker

David Walker Sr., amazingly courageous human being, and resident of Camas, WA, resigned from his leadership position in life to take on a new position as God’s chief advisor, June 1st at the age of 70, after a courageous battle with Cancer. After a month of intense negotiations, David finally accepted the terms of this new position, but only after his loving wife of the past 32 years, Kathy, agreed that he was ready for such a promotion. David is survived by his Wife Kathy; son Sean Walker; daughter Dawn (Mark) Grant; daughter Tonia (Jim) Hrella; brother Garey (Shirley) Walker; sister Darlene Milan; brother-in-law Don Springstead; 7 Grandchildren, Alexander; Jodi; Dianna; Joshua; David 3rd; Sophia; Maya. 4 Great-grandchildren, Malania; Logan; Roses; Oliver. Mother and father-in-law Clayton and Fay Holbrook Sister-in-law Ruthie (Larry) Lambert; sister-in-law Lorie (James) Collins; special friend Richard (Marybeth) Jeannot, special niece Angela Lyon, more than a dozen nieces and nephews; and hundreds of past and present Thortex family members. David is proceeded in death by his parents Harry and Marie Walker; Son David Walker Jr., sister Diane Springstead; brother Harry Walker Jr. Nothing about David was normal or done without flair, and the world needed to focus on him and what he was doing. Because of that, he refused to let the New Year celebrations interfere with his birth, and waited one more day. The day he was born, January 2, 1947, the world stopped for a half a second. It had to readjust its gravitational pull, because it knew this little boy was going to be one heck of a magnetic man. He was born in Muskegon, MI to Harry Sr. and Marie Walker (both deceased), where he lived for most of his youth. He married Sandra Jo Cartwright on March 12th 1966 in Muskegon whom he later divorced, but not after creating three unique sparks of life in his daughter and sons (Dawn, Sean, and David). In a few years , his world changed and he met the first, and most impactful, of many loves in his life, Kathy, whom he then married on August 25, 1984. Not only was Kathy the reason for him to get out of bed every day, but she was his muse, and the one person that would drive him to be better. David had such a magnetic pull, when he wanted to try something new and move out to Oregon, Kathy and her daughter from a previous marriage, Tonia, didn’t even have to think about it, and off they went! In true Brady Bunch nostalgia, David and Kathy merged their families, and the love that formed built a foundation that would be unbreakable in the toughest of times. Once settled in Oregon, David’s magnetism continued, and before long, his sister-in-law Lorie, and his mother and father-in-law Clayton and Fay, all had moved to be located around his strong pull. This is when David’s life story went the way of other great men in history (Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, John Rockefeller, Ray Kroc, Thomas Edison, and the list could go on and on and on… David decided to change the world, and that is exactly what he did. In 1990, while sitting around the dining room table with close friends and family (Kathy, Lorie, and Sharon), he announced the formation of a new company, Thortex. These were the first four employees that formed the family, and from there it grew to a very successful corporation manufacturing some of the world’s finest orthopedic products and tools that have ever been created. Thanks to his hard work and magnetic personality that kept things together in good and bad times, Thortex now has 160 employees, sells products around the globe, and has done more for the world than most would dream of doing in 20 lifetimes. Though David has gone, and his friends and family are sad, no one will mourn. No, if David were here, he would want to know why you weren’t out making that big sale, playing that round of golf, spending time with your loved ones, finishing his month end challenge, or just being a good human being. He would want you to live by his example, learn from his mistakes, and celebrate a life that was well lived! He is now sitting on a plane above our own, at a pearl executive table, watching over all he loved, while challenging the big man to do better! Special Recognition: The family of David Walker would also like to offer their condolences to an unnamed love of his life, the Diageo Corporation, as they are sure to suffer on their next quarterly statement with the loss of their number one Johnnie Walker connoisseur! As David would have said, “Get off your rear and find a way to make up that difference!” David Walker In lieu of Flowers- Kathy has suggested that instead of flowers, you can contribute to 1 of 2 favorite charities of Dave Kathy has set up 2 accounts to deposits donations for Multiple Myeloma and the Wounded Warrior program through University of Utah. A check can be mailed, payable to Kathy Walker, at Thortex address 15045 NE Mason Street, Portland, OR 97230 and note in memo line of check which charity you would like to contribute too. A option, if you prefer, is to contribute directly to each charity * Multiple Myeloma Foundation, www.themmrf.org. * Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine" (6720A Rockledge Drive Bethesda, Maryland), Attention Drs. Paul Pasquina and Brad