Attempting to condense a life into a few paragraphs is daunting. It is a heartbreaking task to write the final words for one so well loved and so terribly missed. We lost our precious husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather on Nov. 14, 2019, following an accident on the farm Nov. 4, 2019.
William Wendall Walker was born in July 1941 in Eugene, Oregon, to Helen and Bill Walker Sr. He had the fortune to live his whole life in Eugene and Springfield and went to grade school in Springfield and to Springfield High School through his junior year, graduating from South Eugene in 1959.
He went to college at Boise State, returning home to work with his father at Walker Auto Sales, which opened in 1945. Bill eventually became sole owner. Walker Auto Sales underwent several changes over the many years it was open. Bill eventually focused on buying and selling pickup trucks.
Bill was a car-lover throughout his life. Loving nice cars came naturally to him, and he owned an assortment of hot rods, Corvettes, and many other sharp cars that caught his eye. As an adult, Bill and his wife Judy belonged to car clubs and enjoyed the company of fellow classic car lovers. They enjoyed car shows, rallies and club functions together over many years.
Bill retained many of his school friends throughout his life. Because of health problems, Bill was forced to retire from car sales in 1997, but he was able to spend more time on his Pleasant Hill farm, where he raised beef cattle and hay. He and Judy loved their country home where their work was also their play.
Nothing was more important to Bill than family, including his four children, Lisa, Scott, Beth and Laura; three grandchildren, Claire, Will and Kendra; and three great-grandchildren, Reese, Brayden and Grace. Each was adored by him and cherished for the extraordinary people they are. He and his wife were fortunate enough to love each other for more than 37 years.
His enthusiasm for life, quirky sense of humor, and deep love for all of us will remain a part of us until we join him in Heaven.
