GRAYSON WALKER

1944 - 2021

Grayson Watkins Walker, Ph.D.    
Died on Thursday, October 14, 2021, after a brief illness. Dr. Walker was born in Norfolk, Virginia on February 10, 1944, the son of William Winder Walker and Lillian Lassiter Walker, both of whom predeceased him. He was a 1962 graduate of Granby High School and graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1967 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry. He later earned both a Master of Science degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Electrochemistry from the American University in Washington, DC.  Dr. Walker was employed by the federal government in the greater Washington, DC area, where he worked at the Engineer Research and Development Laboratory at Fort Belvoir, Virginia and the United States Bureau of Mines in Avondale, Maryland. He did work in the field of fuel cells and batteries and later led the US Army's Camouflage, Concealment, and Deception (CC&D) Program. He served as Chairman of the NATO Special Group of Experts in CC&D from 1996 to 1998 and in 2003 was made a Fellow of the Military Sensing Symposia for his contributions in CC&D.  After retiring from the federal government, Dr. Walker worked for General Dynamics Corporation, developing the United States Marine Corps' Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle. He also worked in the field of alternative energy, exploring technologies and processes to improve the efficiency and cost of combat vehicles. He established and chaired the Alternative Energy Technology Group at General Dynamics Land Systems as a means of exploring new technologies in alternative energy.  Dr. Walker returned to Norfolk in 2009 to live on the Lafayette River where he grew up. He taught classes at Old Dominion University and Hampton University for several years before retiring completely and devoting his spare time to volunteering at the Nauticus National Maritime Center and the Norfolk Animal Care Center.  He was a member of the German Club of Virginia Polytechnic Institute; The American Chemical Society; The Electrochemical Society; Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville, Virginia; and the Old Presbyterian Meeting House in Alexandria, Virginia. Dr. Walker was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Christine Poole Walker; his son and daughter-in-law, Andrew Hughes Walker and Desiree Davis Walker; and his two sweet grandchildren, Grayson Davis Walker and Lillian Elizabeth Walker. His funeral service will be private. In lieu of flowers, his family requests donations be made to the Norfolk Animal Care Center or the Nauticus National Maritime Center.