JOHN S. WALKE, M.D.
May 21, 2009
The family and friends of Dr. John Walke will gather Monday at 10:00
a.m. at the First Christian Church with Dr. Don Wilson officiating, to
pay tribute to a man who touched many with his kind and gentle nature.
Arrangements handled by North's Funeral Home, 242 Orange St.
Dr. Walke was born June 24, 1944 in Dallas, Texas to John Edwin and
Josephine White Walke. He graduated from Highland Park High School in
1962 and from Rice University in 1966 with a degree in physics. While
studying for his master’s degree in physics at the University of
Chicago, he met the love of his life, Martha Tucker. They were married
in 1968, and together attended medical school at the University of Texas
Medical Branch, Galveston, graduating in 1973. He served a residency in
internal medicine at Charles S. Wilson Memorial Hospital in Johnson
City, NY and was chief resident his third year. His pulmonary fellowship
was split between Wilson Memorial and the University of Vermont. In
1978, he and Martha moved to Abilene and opened their medical practices.
John practiced at Hendrick Medical Center until his retirement in 2004,
serving for nearly 20 years as the Director of the Respiratory Therapy
Department and teacher in the respiratory therapy training program. He
was always conscious of the needs of the staff and was renowned for
telling elephant jokes to lighten everyone’s mood. In 1992 he pioneered
the opening of the hyperbaric therapy department at Hendrick and, for
several years was the only HBO practitioner in Abilene. Dr. Walke was
also a man of God. He served as an elder and a charter member of Abilene
Community Church and more recently as a deacon and member of the
handbell choir of First Christian Church.
John is survived by his wife Dr. Martha Walke; mother, Jo Walke and
sisters, Linda Walke and Jean Walke. He and Martha had five children;
Cari and Dennis Snell and their son, Cass, John and Jessica Walke and
their three boys, John Zachary, Joshua and Jesse, Thomas and Stephanie
Walke and their daughter Victoria, Talitha and Austin Mullins and Caleb
Walke. He was loved by a wide circle of friends and will be sorely
missed.
In recent years, since his retirement, John has stayed active with
volunteer work through the Gideons, Global Samaritan Resources, BOBS,
Meals on Wheels and was looking forward to working with his grandson in
Boy Scouts. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to any of the
aforementioned organizations.
Obituary courtesy North’s Funeral Home, 242
Orange Street, Abilene, Texas 79601 -
www.northsfuneralhome.com
|