William Oliver Walker Jr.

At the age of 95, William Oliver Walker, Jr., died on 2/23/26. Born December 6, 1930, in Sweetwater, Texas, he was the son of William Oliver Walker and Frances Baker White Walker, both of whom preceded him in death.

He was the valedictorian of his graduating class at Grandfalls High School, Grandfalls, TX. He was editor of the yearbook and school paper, 3-year letterman in tennis and basketball, coronet player in the band, Regional President of FFA, Junior Assistant Scoutmaster, and pianist for the Grandfalls Union Church.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Magna cum Laude) from Austin College in Sherman, TX, where he was a 3-year letterman in tennis, a member of Phi Sigma Alpha Fraternity, and the student grader for first-year Greek classes.

He received the Master of Divinity degree (Summa cum Laude) in 1957 from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, a Master of Arts degree in Classics (Summa cum Laude) from the University of Texas in 1958, and a Doctor of Philosophy (Magna cum Laude) from Duke University in 1962.

At the age of nineteen, he became a candidate for the ministry in the Presbyterian Church. During his college and seminary days, he served as a student assistant pastor, student pastor, or supply preacher in various churches in Oklahoma and Texas. Following his seminary graduation, he was licensed and then ordained as a Presbyterian minister. While a graduate student, he preached in various churches in Texas and North Carolina. In 1968, he “demitted" (left) the ministry for a career in academia.

He joined the faculty of Trinity University in 1962, where he taught until his retirement in 2002. He was named the first Jennie Farris Railey King Professor of Religion in 2000. During his time at Trinity, he served as Chair of the Department of Religion, Dean of the Division of Humanities and Arts, and Interim Chair of the Department of Psychology. He was also actively involved in faculty governance. In 2002, he received the University’s first annual Award for Distinguished University and Community Service. He received the “Outstanding Educator Award” in 1982-1983. He was named a “Distinguished Alumnus” by Austin College in 2009 and recognized for distinguished service by Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in 2016.

He was the author of four books, the co-author, editor, associate editor, or consulting editor of nine books, and the author of seventy scholarly articles and more than thirty published book reviews -- all in the field of early Christian literature and history. In addition, he presented scholarly papers at numerous regional, national, and international professional meetings.

As a member of First Presbyterian Church in San Antonio, he served as a deacon, elder, and member of Session. Later, as a member of Madison Square Presbyterian Church in San Antonio, he served as an elder and member of Session (Clerk 2011-2016).

He was a founder and the first Chair of the San Antonio Chapter of the United Nations Association, a longtime member of the ACLU (and co-founder of the ACLU San Antonio Chapter), and organizer of the San Antonio Committee to Stop the War in Vietnam.

He was a letterman in both basketball and tennis in high school (he and his three-year partner were District doubles champions in tennis his senior year) and a letterman in tennis in college. He continued playing tennis until health issues forced him to retire in the 1990s. He occasionally entered tournaments, sometimes even winning them, and in 1974, he and his older son Scott were ranked number two in Texas in father-son doubles.

He traveled extensively in the United States, Canada, Mexico, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and South Africa.

In 1955, he married Mary Scott ("Scottie") Daugherty of Houston (they divorced in 1978, and, regrettably, she died in 2016). He is survived by his son William Scott ("Scott") Walker and his wife Inna Walker of Riverside, Rhode Island; his daughter Mary Evan Walker and her husband Michael David Abrahams of Baltimore, Maryland; his son Michael Neal ("Neal") Walker of San Antonio, Texas; his granddaughter Elizabeth Forbes ("Liz") Walker of Boston, Massachusetts; his grandson William Michael ("Mike") Walker of Providence, Rhode Island; his grandchild Maggie Walker of Oakland, California; and his grandchild Willow Walker of San Antonio. He is also survived by his sister Mary Ella Walker Kuhn of Grandfalls, Texas, and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother John Henry Walker, his sister Helen Frances Walker Raeke, and his brothers-in-law Thomas Edward ("Ed") Kuhn and Howard Raeke.

On his tombstone in Grandfalls, the little West Texas town where he grew up, will appear the words "Never far from Home," which epitomize his life in many ways. His greatest comfort and joy was always his various "homes" with his biological family, his church family, his academic family, his political family, and all the other wonderful people he met along the way. What first drew him to Madison Square Presbyterian Church was the fact that the minister, at the beginning of each Sunday morning worship service, would spread her arms wide and, with a big smile on her face, say Bienvenidos, people of God, welcome home!" This truly made him feel at home."

Looking back on his life recently, Walker said, "Life has been--and is-- very, very good." In particular, he was grateful for and enormously proud of his three children (Scott, Mary, and Neal) and his four grandchildren (Liz, Mike, Maggie, and Willow).

There will be a memorial service at Madison Square Presbyterian Church in San Antonio on Saturday, March 21, at 4:00 pm, followed by a reception in the church's Fellowship Hall. Burial will be in the Tamarisk Cemetery in Grandfalls, Texas. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to either:

(1) “The William 0. and Frances B. Walker Endowment for Ministry to Children and Teenagers" at Madison Square Presbyterian Church, 319 Camden Street, San Antonio, TX 78215;

(2) “The Wiliam 0. and Frances B. Walker Sponsored Academic Honors Scholarship" at Austin College, 900 North Grand Avenue, Sherman, TX 75090-4400;

(3) the Scholarship Fund at Trinity University, One Trinity Place, San Antonio, TX 7822; or

(4) The Fund for Maintenance of Physical Facilities, Grandfalls Union Church, 103 Avenue D, Grandfalls, TX 79742.