James Rodney WALKER

Our admired brother, husband, dad, and grandpa passed away on March 21, 2022, with family faithfully by his side. He was always there for us, and we needed to be there for him.

Rod was born to Hollis and Helen (Hazen) Walker in Spokane. He excelled and graduated from North Central High School in 1951 where he was valedictorian, an all-city basketball player, an Eagle Scout, and student body president. He then went on to graduate from the University of Washington as a Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in Civil Engineering in 1955 and was president of his fraternity Beta Theta Pi. He was a very proud Husky in a land predominately inhabited by Cougars. Rod went on to continue his education by receiving his BA from Whitworth in Business and his master's degree in business from Gonzaga University.

Immediately after graduating from the University of Washington in 1955, Rod served his country as a pilot (call sign "Prophet") in the United States Navy where he attained the rank of Lt. Commander (LCDR). He served 3.5 years on active duty and continued to serve in the Navy Reserve until 1965.

While at the University of Washington, Rod met a beautiful Art major named Carole Newman. The attraction was mutual. After graduation and while en route to the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, FL for flight training, Rod realized that the position of his co-pilot had already been filled. He called Carole and, after only a very brief six-month courtship, they quickly arranged their marriage in June of 1955 so that she could accompany him. That marriage would defy all the odds and endure for 67 remarkable years.

After his Navy days were completed, Rod came back to Spokane to work for the construction company his grandfather, uncle, and father founded in 1930, Hazen & Clark, Inc. He, along with his brother Lee Walker, and cousin Phil Walker, eventually took over the leadership of Hazen & Clark and made it thrive. Some of the company's most memorable projects included the contributions they made to Expo '74 when they built both the Australian and Philippine pavilions.

In 1980, he helped establish and found a parallel construction company, Walker Construction, Inc. that was to be run by his sons, and which continues to build upon his legacy to this day.

Mom always said that dad never joined a board that he didn't eventually chair or be president of, and some of his more notable leadership positions included AGC, Rockwood Retirement Communities, and Inland Northwest Bank. He was an avid tennis player during his 30's up through his 60s when he finally slowed his pace and concentrated on, as he described it, the miserable game of golf. Despite several forgettable rounds, he did manage a hole-in-one on a sunny day in Palm Desert, where he and his mom resided during the cold winter months.

Dad was a wonderful carpenter and craftsman and a fixture on many Habitat for Humanity projects. Even in his '80s, you could find him building carts for The Inland Northwest Trinity Project.

He and his mom travelled the world with stops in Africa, Australia, the Philippines, Hawaii, and Alaska to name a few. An avid hunter in his earlier days, he and his mom settled into an annual fishing trip to either Canada or Alaska to come home with a year's supply of salmon, halibut, and fun stories.

Of all the places he visited, it was the family cabin on Pend Oreille River that meant the most to him. Like his father before him, he found peace and felt closer to God as he puttered around the property riding his tractor, cleaning up the brush, or raking the forest. His favorite times at the cabin were with his family and most notably breakfast, where grandpa showed love to all who stopped by with the best huckleberry pancakes ever made.

Rod is survived by his wife of 67 years, Carole (Newman) Walker, his brother Lee Walker (Doni), cousin Phil Walker (Carol), his sons James Steven Walker (Kristine), Marc Rodney Walker (Mary), and Edward L. Walker (Amy), and grandkids, Blake, Karina, Cooper, Nicholia, Garrett, Jace, and Bennan Walker.

A viewing will be held at Heritage Funeral Home on Saturday, April 23rd from 1:00 until 5:00. A celebration of Rod's life will be held at Hamblen Park Presbyterian Church on Sunday, April 24th at 12:30 PM, with a graveside burial at Greenwood Memorial Terrace to follow.