Bill Walker passed away

[Herb Lanphear]

Brad,
Please accept our deepest condolences from our family to yours.Bill knew he was always welcome in our pits after the races and we loved having him hold court right there! He was a true gentleman of the sport and a true patriot to our nation.I can't remember anyone having more passion for the sport than he had! He will be missed!!!!

[94H]

Brad,
I’ve known your dad for such a long time, we go way back. I’m very sorry to hear of his passing.

He always walked up to me with a smile and a handshake. I can still see his smile. Don’t forget the memories.

Bob Koschka
K&S Racing Indianapolis

[Jack Stotts]

So sorry to see this. Bill was a great guy and the most loyal boat racer in the universe.

[RKO]

Brad,
Sorry to hear about Bill. I was just thinking about him the other week. Always love talking with you and him at the races. Good times.

Keith Owen

[Dparker]

Sorry to hear about your Dad passing Brad, Bill was a great friend over the years, always bringing me items/Propellors magazines from back in the 60's' reminiscing about the 60's back in New England, Region 1. My condolences to you and your family

[dwhitford]

Brad: It was Aug 1981. IBM (my employer) announced their 1st PC that week. Meanwhile, Joe Stager had organized a major regatta on Canandaigua Lake (Inboard & Outboard) in conjunction with his employer, the Winery. Your father, left you and your mother, Sue, at home in Virginia Beach, and I traveled up from Charlotte with my 250cc Hydro on top of the camper cap of my F250 truck to meet Bill at Pop Augustine's place in Laurel, MD. We were tasked with drawing the Carolina-Virginia equipment trailer up to Canandaigua for Joe's regatta. Bill had nothing to race that weekend, was just pitching in for the overall good of boat racing.

A little north of Harrisburg, I'd already discovered that Bill was a railroad buff, as was I. We stopped for a late lunch at Van's, a venerable restaurant high above the vast Enola (Alone spelled backward) railway classification yard. Van's catered with heavy grub like stuffed beef heart to the railroad people, loco engineers, firemen, switchmen, . . . the whole gamut. My dad had worked in Harrisburg for more than a year in 1947-'48 and had tipped me off about Van's. My dad, Big Bob, was a food enthusiast! Bill and I lunched well, indeed! And we discovered some grafitti in the Men's Room: "Downhill fast, uphill slow. This is CONRAIL, the way we go!"

We got up to Canandaigua for an incredibly busy and fun-filled weekend amid whole hordes of local spectators. We were tired on the way home. We stopped in darkness at the I-81 rest area south of Wilkes-Barre and north of the I-80 interchange to sleep awhile in the truck. The Pugh rig from near Knoxville was right behind us.

I'd already known your dad for probably 10 years before, even slept overnight once in your VA Beach house, but that Canandaigua weekend was where we really bonded.

I dropped out of racing from OCT 1986 until my re-entry at Wilson, NC in AUG 2014. Imagine how pleased I was to re-make your father's acquaintance in places like Tabor City, NC and Jesup, GA. It was as though no lapse in time had occurred.

Bill's death makes me aware of my own mortality because of our similar ages. We are diminished. -- dave

[Bob Dunlap]

So sorry to hear about Bill. Our condolences go out to you Brad, Molly, Patrick and John. Bill has always lived boat racing, it was his passion. His gentle and kind nature was unsurpassed, He was always ready to help anybody, especially newcomers. I can remember when I started racing I didn't have a cut suit or life jacket when I showed up at the races, Bill found me and said you can use my son's (Brad's) equipment because he's not racing this year. I used Brad's cut suit and life jacket all year! After the races everyday Bill would always say, come by the van and have a drink. We had a lot of good times together and I have a lot of good memories of Bill.
RIP Bill

[Brian10s]

Brad-
Deepest condolences to the entire Walker Family on Bill's passing. Bill will be missed.
Brian

[PopPop]

Philip Doerle

Our condolences Bill Walkers family, Bill was a great guy and a truely unique character. It's been a pleasure to know him and he will be missed by all. The Doerles, the Lyons family and Ray Hastings

[PropNut]

Condolences to the Walker family. Bill was a friend in the 60's at Region 1 races and our reuniting at Tabor City, NC and Berwick, PA in recent years. He always greeted you with a handshake and a smile. A true gentlemen of the sport. He will always be remembered and missed.

[Mark 72@E]

My sincere condolences to Brad and family. I first met Bill at Lock Haven, PA sometime in the 2005 to 2009 range. Here he is at Hinton, WV in 2012.

Bill Walker 17F DSC_8532R1.jpg

Race in peace, Bill.

[Chinewalker]

My sincere condolences to you and your family. I met Bill at several races over the years, and pitted next to him at Lock Haven in the late 1990s. We had both arrived solo, sans pit crews, so we helped each other out over the course of the weekend, as racers do. Great guy!

Also, out of the blue, I met him walking down St. George in St. Augustine during one of our winter vacations down south. Ended up chatting for over an hour. He'll be missed.

[Rtrolian]

Brad,
Our deepest condolences to you and your family on your Dad's passing. Your Dad was always one to share a story or two each time he saw you. We chatted for quite some time this year at Jesup and Lakeland. Rest in peace my friend.
Robert Trolian for thew Trolian family

[dlmurray]

So to hear this sad news. Bill always made time to chat at the races and was a pleasure to be around. Got to know him at the races in Florida and Georgia. Thoughts to the family at a difficult time.

Diane Murray (N-6)
Pete Voss (N-66)