Harold Christian Walker

Hal was a one-of-a-kind friend. He loved showing me and Susan around NYC: the newest swanky restaurant or pizza joint in Manhattan. The hidden takeout counter with great Mexican food in back a tiny bodega in Queens. The rooftop bar with the best Margarita. The Arepa Lady of Jackson Heights. The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck. Little Italy of the Bronx. One day we ate and drank our way through all five Boroughs. He loved the City and so do we.

Hal also loved to visit our hometown (Kalamazoo, Mich.) and his (York, Pa.), part of what he affectionately called Norman Rockwell Land. And he loved meeting up to explore other cities. We met him and longtime companion Patricia in Philadelphia, Cleveland, Toronto, New Orleans, and Chicago. He insisted on seeing NYC and these places on foot as much as possible. If you could keep up with Hal and his Fitbit, you had a friend for life -- which we did.