Arthur Lee Walker Jr.

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Arthur Lee Walker, Jr. M.D.

1925 - 2007Arthur Lee Walker Jr., M.D., (November 8, 1925 - Jan. 17, 2007) father, grandfather, friend, physician, mountaineer, photographer, gourmet and Renaissance man, Art passed from this world at peace and on his own terms, fiercely independent to the end.He leaves behind his loving children Alison Lee Walker Barr (her husband Ken), Rick Walker (his wife Chris), Bill Walker (his wife Nancy), from his first marriage to Mary Lee Jensen Walker, and his daughter, Martha Walker, from his second marriage, to Renee Jones, his grandson Benjamin Ethan Jay (his wife Deidre), his godson Bryan Cook, his sister Ginnie Jarvis (her husband Dave), and a host of friends and family, whose lives were blessed by his touch and by his warmhearted and generous spirit.Born at home in Cass County, Texas to Patricia Davis and Arthur L. Walker, and raised on the Gulf coast, Art served in the Army Air Force during WWII in pilot training. During the war, he played clarinet and saxophone in a Big Band jazz band, which brought him great joy and led to a life- long and knowledgeable love of music of all kinds.He received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Texas after the war. Deciding to pursue a career in medicine, he attended the University of Texas Medical School for his degree in Medicine. He was an unrepentant U.T. Longhorns football fan.He then joined the Air Force as a medical doctor with the rank of Captain. While stationed in Tripoli, Libya, he became the personal physician to King Idris I, Libya's first and only king in 2,000 years. Later he gave visiting President Dwight Eisenhower a physical exam. (In Art's will, it is rumored, someone will inherit Ike's 12 lead EKG). Art practiced internal medicine in the Santa Clara Valley for 35 years, based at O'Connor Hospital, and served as Chief of Staff during his tenure. He was a respected specialist in the fields of arthritis and rheumatism. He was a gentle, compassionate physician and was genuinely loved by his patients.Art was a hiker, mountain and rock climber, alpine skier, accomplished nature photographer, and an incredibly physical man with a deep love and respect for the earth and the outdoors. As a member of the Sierra Club since 1964, and an original member of the Mono Lake Committee who helped save the lake from extinction, Art shared with many people his deep love of the east side of the Sierra. He climbed most of the major peaks in the west, as well as peaks in Nepal. He seemed happiest being on top of a mountain.He was active on the board of directors of Wilshire Park Townhomes, and was a member of the San Jose Camera Club and the Slow Readers Men's Group. With an amazing command of facts and a wealth of knowledge on almost any subject, he loved learning and was a perpetual scholar. He shared his eclectic appreciation for music, dance, and art with his family and friends.Humor was also very important to Art and to his family. No one celebrated a really bad pun as much as Art and he had a wonderful and contagious laugh. We have all been blessed to know him. And we marvel at his courage and determination, inspired to live better lives.Please join us to remember Art at 2:00 p.m. on Sat. Jan. 27th at the Wilshire Park clubhouse (McKinley Dr.) in San Jose. Bring a potluck dish, and your memories to share in this celebration of Art's life. Call 408-398-4250 with any questions. Donations in his honor may be made to the Mono Lake Committee, PO Box 29, Lee Vining, CA, 93541.