Robert Wayne Walker

Lt. Colonel Robert Wayne Walker

Abilene, TX

Lieutenant Colonel Robert Wayne Walker, USAF, Retired, 87, passed away Tuesday, October 28th, 2014. There will be a Memorial Service at Jeter and Son Funeral Home in Dallas, Texas on Wednesday, November 5th at 1:00 pm. Immediately following the service, there will be a military burial at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery at 2:30 pm.

Lt. Col. Walker was born on April 26, 1927 in Port Arthur, Texas. He was the sixth of seven children who were reared by their widowed mother during the Great Depression. When 18, he joined the Navy with other patriotic young men who wanted to serve their country during WWII. He later joined the United States Air Force and served 23 years in a long and distinguished career. He chose to serve as a navigator and flew mostly in KC-135 tankers. Although common now, while stationed at Wiesbaden Germany, he became the first navigator in the Air Force to serve as an Operations Officer, for which he received the Meritorious Service Medal. Before this, the privilege was reserved for pilots or co-pilots.

Even though he was too modest to talk about them, he received many other honors and medals during his 23 year career which included the Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and the Air Medal and 7 oak leaf clusters. Lt. Col Walker was one of the few people who served in the WWII, Korea and Vietnam wars and he was truly a part of the "Greatest Generation".

His character was exceptional; he was honest, loyal, and his word was his bond. He was much admired, respected and loved by his family, whom he loved and protected with all his strength. He was a member of the Church of Christ.

On May 30th, 1956, he married the love of his life, Dorothy Jean Kilbourne and he never wavered from his deep and abiding love and admiration for her. He will be missed deeply and loved forever by his family. Our country's loss; our family's loss is Heaven's gain. We look forward to our reunion with him there.

He is survived by his loving wife, Jean Walker; his daughter Rebecca Lynn Hall and her husband, David Hall; his daughter Elizabeth Ann Southerland and her husband, Robert Southerland; and his son David Wayne Walker. He had six grandchildren: Sophia Allamly, Chris Putnam, Jason Stokes, Aimee Hall, David Walker, and Daniel Southerland and six great grandchildren: Joshua, Gabriel and Christian Stokes, Leighton and Paige Putnam and Nathaniel Hall.

He was preceded in death by his son Daniel Kilbourne Walker in 1980.

His was a life well lived.