William David "Bill" Walker, Sr.

On the morning of Saturday, November 21st, 2020, Mr. William David “Bill” Walker Sr., 73, of Albany, lost his long-fought battle with cancer, surrounded by his loving family. Born November 25th, 1946, in Talladega, AL, he was the son of the late William Russell Walker and Velino Mae “Pat” Smith. Bill spent his childhood between the family’s main home in Coldwater, AL and a family farm in Eastaboga, AL – where he developed both a keen work ethic, and a love for the outdoors. In October of 1966, he enlisted in the United States Navy as a machinist’s mate where he enjoyed international travel and the challenge of new trades. He had a growing interest in machinery design and exited uniform service in 1970 to pursue higher education. He initially studied at MSOE in Milwaukee, WI, before transferring to the University of Alabama, where he graduated, with honors, with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. He relocated to Albany from Kennesaw in 1978 and started a family soon after. He held both “Conditioned Air, Non-Restricted” and “Professional Engineer” (P.E.) licenses and enjoyed an illustrious engineering career, primarily in the fields of HVAC design and process safety, that spanned over three decades until his retirement in 2012. Those who knew Bill well would describe him as having a heart of gold, always willing to lend a hand, or an ear, to those who needed him. He was tough, but fair, and you always knew where you stood with him. The degree of pride that he had for his family is indescribable in words, as is the void resulting from his death. He will be missed dearly. Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Shelton Edward Walker. He is survived by his sons, William David “Will” Walker Jr. and his wife Brandi of Sale City, GA, and Jonathan Michael Walker and his wife Luisa of Jacksonville, FL; brother, Joseph Ike “Joe” Walker of Cullman, AL; and grandchildren, Ziah, Lucas, Meredith, Dylan, Jameson, Oliver, and Ethan. Services will be held privately at Andersonville National Cemetery. A celebration of life is scheduled for January 8th, 2021, at 5:00pm at the home of Will and Brandi in Sale City, GA.