Posted by Cathy Gowdy on Friday, July 07, 2006 at 05:43:44 :
San Francisco Chronicle
Thursday, September 27, 2001
C 2
WALKER, Richard Phillip -- November 16, 1921-September 24, 2001 Beloved son, husband, father, brother, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend, Richard Phillip Walker, 79, of Modesto, was born on November 16, 1921, and died in his home on Monday, his son Teddy's birthday. Richard was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and raised in Westwood in Northern California, a family owned town. In his youth, he worked in the forests for the Walker family lumber company, Red River Lumber Co., fighting forest fires and cutting timber. He attended San Rafael Military Academy and the University of Oregon before his service in the war. After the war, he received his BS is Accounting at Rollins College in Florida. During World War II, he served in the US Navy as Chief Pharmacist's Mate. He was a Medic on the USS Enterprise during major battles and invasions, as well as on the USS Newman K. Perry. He served in the CASU 1 Unit in Guadalcanal and New Caledonia. He served as President of American International Aluminum Corp. in Florida and at that time was a member of the Young Presidents Organization. As a professional contractor he built the first large subdivision of its kind in Milpitas (100 homes), and built numerous custom homes in Menlo Park, Atherton, Clayton, Marin County and Modesto. He built Del Rio East, the first gated community in Modesto. He was also a member of the Clayton City Council. Dick owned timber in Northern California and was also an avid and contrarian stock trader, as well as a gold miner. He was a master craftsman who built his own homes, as well as many fine pieces of furniture, including cherished cradles for each of his grandchildren. He was passionate about nutrition, known by his friends as Dr. Vitamin, and maintained a bountiful organic vegetable garden. He was also a member of Del Rio County Club. Because of his love of the water, he treasured spending time in San Carlos, Mexico overlooking the sea and cleaning fish, and in Carnelian Bay at Lake Tahoe catching crawdads. He was predeceased by seven of his beloved children, Linda, Cindy, Carey, Teddy, Mary Ann, Melissa, and Cricket, and by his mother and father, Sylvia and Theodore Walker. He is survived by his wife, Jean Kindy Walker; his children Lance Walker (Susie), of Winter Park, Florida, Adrian Walker, of Tiburon. and Carolyn Walker Shaw and Don Shaw, of Menlo Park; sister, Jean Walker Yeates of Sedona, Arizona; six grandchildren, Jordan and James Shaw, and Lance Walker (Patricia), Wendy Walker Gardner (Bobby), Michael Walker (Christina) and Andrew Walker; and six great-grandchildren, Bo, Sarah, Caroline, Will, Michaela and Catherine; and his mother-in-law, Marie Kindy. A visitation will be held on Thursday, September 27 from 4-7 pm at Salas Brothers Funeral Home, 419 Scenic Drive in Modesto. A graveside service will be held on Friday, September 28 at II am, at St. Stanislaus Cemetery on Scenic Drive in Modesto. The family requests that any remembrances be sent to the Christopher P. Walker Foundation at the Children's Crisis Center for 'Cricket's House', P.O. Box 1062, Modesto, CA 95353, or to Community Hospice of Stanislaus County, 601 McHenry Ave., Modesto, CA 95350.
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