John Edward Walker

9/9/1958-6/23/2025
John Edward Walker, 66, formerly of Attleboro, MA and more recently Warwick, RI, passed away peacefully at his home on June 23rd after a long battle with illness.
John was born on September 9th, 1958, the only son of Wilbur and Margaret Walker in Hartford, CT. He grew up primarily in South Windsor, CT where he met several lifelong friends. After graduating high school in 1976, John worked for National Telephone for two years before attending Eastern Connecticut College, earning a degree in Mathematics. In 1984 he moved to Brookline, MA and started working at One Beacon Insurance. While in Boston, John met his future wife, Catherine, on a blind date. He quickly knew he found "the one" and the couple was wed 6 months later. When his job relocated, John and "Cath" moved to Attleboro, MA, where they resided for the next 31 years, raising their four beloved children.
Throughout their time in Attleboro, John was very involved in the community, especially with the various sports leagues in which his children took part. He eventually became a youth basketball referee, which was as much a hobby as it was a side job. When he wasn't getting involved in local youth sports or spending time with his family, John had a lifelong passion for the game of golf, instilled in him from a young age by his father.
After their time in Attleboro, John and Catherine moved to Warwick where they planned to spend retirement enjoying time with their grandchildren. John fully embraced and loved his role as "Gpa", looking forward to every opportunity he had to play with them in the sandbox he'd built.
As health struggles arose later in life, John was able to lean on his family as well as a strong, supportive network of loyal friends. John lived a life to be proud of and had no regrets.
John is survived by his wife of 36 years, Catherine Shanley Walker, his children Sam (Tracy), Brian (Carly), Nicklaus (Allison), and Shanley (Alex), his grandchildren Lincoln, Nora, Alexandra, and Elle, his sisters Deborah and Lisa, and several nieces and nephews.
Relatives and friends are invited to a Mass of Christian Burial on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, at 10am in Ss. Rose and Clement Church, 111 Long St., Warwick. His interment will be private. A Visitation will be held Tuesday, July 1, 2025, from 4-8pm in the Thomas & Walter Quinn Funeral Home, 2435 Warwick Ave., Warwick.