William Alfred Walker
Bill passed away July 29, 2011, at St. Peter’s Hospital following complications of pneumonia. Bill was born February 16, 1925, in Malvern, Iowa, to Sam and Wanda Walker. He grew up in Malvern, graduating from Malvern High School. After high school he joined the United States Army and attended Counter Intelligence School in Holabird, Maryland. After completing his time in the Army, Bill worked eleven years for the Union Pacific Railroad as a freight claims adjuster. He also attended Omaha Technical School during this time, learning electronics.
Bill came to Montana in 1953. Living in Billings, he worked for a Zenith distributor as a service representative, later continuing the position for Motorola. Following his work with Motorola, he began a teaching position in the Electronics Department of the Helena Vo-Tech. He taught electronics for ten years. During that time he attended summer classes at Montana State University and took extension courses through Northern Montana College to earn credits for his teaching certificate.
In 1973 while teaching, Bill started selling real estate part-time. In 1979, he resigned from teaching to pursue real estate full time. In 1984 he opened Bill Walker Realty, which he operated until his retirement in June 2010.
Bill enjoyed many hobbies and interests, including classic cars, restoring antique radios, collecting old bicycles, and attending auctions and garage sales with his best friend Patty. He as an accomplished Bible scholar and attended a weekly study group.
Bill was a member of several charitable and professional organizations over the years, including a long time membership in the Helena Kiwanis Club. He was involved with Westmont and The Farm in the Dell, serving on Westmont’s Development Committee. He considered many of the staff and clients among his dearest friends.
Bill always looked for the best in people and helped out whenever he saw the opportunity. He is survived by his wife of 29 years Patty, sister Shirley Clark of Bozeman, Montana, son Bob (Pam) of Joliet, Montana, daughter Marj Schofield of Kansas City, Missouri, daughter Shirlee Walker of Missoula, Montana, daughter Chris Hall (Craig) of Billings, Montana, daughter Beverly Grauman (Dave) of Billings, Montana, and daughter Allison Breen (Doug) of Portland, Oregon. He is survived by eleven grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his son, Jim Greene, and his parents Sam and Wanda Walker.
A graveside service with military honors will be held at 11:30 a.m., Saturday, August 6, 2011 at the Forestvale Cemetery. A reception will follow the graveside at the Farm in the Dell; 3240 York Road, Helena. Memorials in Bill’s name may be sent to WestMont Farm in the Dell; 2708 Bozeman Ave., Helena, MT 59601. To offer a condolence or share a memory of William, please visit: www.retzfuneralhome.com.
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Tanya Shearer says
It is with a very sad heart that I send my condolences to you. Bill is one of the most amazing, kind and generous people I have every met. We were on the development committee together for the past 13 years or so and there was never a meeting or event that I didn’t look forward to seeing and working with him. He will be missed but leaves a legacy of memories and an incredible example to follow.
florence shaw says
My prayers are with you and your family.
Bill’s sense of humor and kind way kept me going for many a shift at LCC.
Flossie
Shannon Clark Brooks says
Patty & Family,
My thoughts and prayers are with all of you. “Uncle Bill” will be dearly missed. My Dad, Grandpa Jim, Jimmy & Bill will be having quite the conversations. This month of July has been hard on us all, keep your heads and I love you all!!!! Hugs & Kisses xxxooo
Terise Campbell Schaefer says
I have the fondest memories of Bill, Patti and Jimmy at our auctions. Please accept my sympathies Patti, as I know that everyone will miss Bill very much!! He was a very nice humanitarian.
My thoughts and prayers are with you always,
Terise
Carole Schofield Sowden says
Shirlee and Family – I was so sorry to hear of Bill’s passing. My condolences to your family. Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers.
Carole Schofield Sowden
Bob Christnacht says
I am sorry to hear of Bill’s passing. He was a great next door neigbor to grow up with. He always had a smile on his face, a freindly wave and did not seem to mind the “projects” my borthers and I woere working on in the alley. He will be missed.
A says
I love you dad, you are the best dad a person could have!
Billie Jo Williams says
Hi Patti,
I was so sorry to hear about Bill’s passing. My thoughts and prayers are with you at this time my dear.
Love,
Billie Jo Williams
Julie A Gambill says
To a very wonderful person,whom was a very kind gentle caring funny man,whom i had the pleasure of working with in his Realty Business and as a frind..God speed Bill,now you and Jimmy can laugh and talk and be togeather in green fields again…Take care always Patty…
Heidi Heiser says
Patty,
My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Heidi
Kelli Kaufman says
Patty,
So sorry to hear that Bill passed. Please know I am thinking of you. Kelli
Deb Jacobsen says
I will miss my neighbor, Bill. We shared dog stories in Clancy for 20 years. Blessings and sympathy to Patty and family.
Mary Brydich says
Patty and Family – I am so sorry to hear of Bill’s passing. I have so many wonderful memories of him during my 13 years with the Helena Kiwanis. He was such an active member and cared very much about the club. My thoughts are with you.
Bob Mullenix says
Patty,
Sorry to read about Bill’s death. I remember working with you both at times when I maintained your yard and the area around Bill’s office.
I would see Bill at the auctions and enjoyed talking with him.
May the Lord comfort you and your family.
Bob Mullenix
Stan Howe says
Bill was the first supporter of my auction business 30 years ago when he got me to come and do a presentation to his Kiwannas club just after I got back from auction school. Later he gave me one of my first good auctions and became a great friend. He was a great guy, gave me lots of good advice as he did a lot of people starting out in business. We enjoyed old cars, antiques, auctions and just visiting for years. I didn’t think he was this old as he was always a young thinker. I’ll miss him.
Nina Smith says
My sincerest condolences. May you find comfort in this difficult time.
I had the pleasure of working with Bill years ago when I first arrived in Helena and was selling advertising for cable television. He took a chance on the product and we successfully worked together for three or four years. I appreciated the way he did business.
Years later whenever I’d see Bill out and about, he was always pleasant and would still recognize me, by name. I will remember him fondly.
Warmly,
Nina C. Smith
Don Erickson says
I enjoyed working with Bill for many years. He was always honest and straightforward in all of his business dealings. I’m sure he will be missed by all of his family and many friends.
Don Erickson
Marlene Lauretta says
Patty, I am so sorry to hear about Bill’s passing. What a true and gentle man he was. It was such a pleasure to witness the love between you two. May he rest in peace and may you stay strong and surround yourself in his spirit. God Bless you and your family. Marlene
Rod and Synthia Vollertsen says
We send you our deepest sympathy and prayers for helping you through this difficult time. Bill will be SO missed on Wednesday nights. There will be such an empty chair that will hurt our hearts for time to come. He was always a gentleman! He watched our kids grow up and was still interested in how they were doing. He truly loved his family and especially the Grandchildren. I repeat, we are truly going to miss him!
May God be with you and place his blessing upon you.
Helen Hoffman says
Patti,
You are in my thoughts and prayers. I have many fond memories of Bill.
Sincerely,
Helen Diehl Hoffman
lois Morrow, lisa & jim, pat says
So sorry to hear about Bill. He was a real good man and will be missed greatly. We were so glad to see him the last time at Last Chance and will miss seeing him there again. Love and sympathy from the Morrow Family.
Rick Elhart says
Bill
You will be missed. You will be missed as a friend in Kiwanis and as a fellow Christian. You mattered Bill…you mattered! You touched many lives in a very constructive and good way.
One could count on you to speak about what was not what wasn’t. You were positive and constructive. You spoke of hope, the future, tommorrow all the time caring about those around you.
May God bless you and keep you, may his light shine upon you and give you Grace. I will miss you!
Rick
Carol Chrisntacht says
When Mom and Dad shared with us that Mr. Walker died many fond memories flashed into my head. I was always afraid of dogs until Mr. Walker brought over Buck and introduced him to me! Mr. Walker was always the first to show intrest in what any of the Christnacht Kids were doing– he had a memory like an elephant. When Dad got sick it gave me great comfort knowing that Mr. Walker was there to help out. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family!!!!
Sharon Holmquist Mercado says
Patty and family,
I’m so sorry for your loss. Bill was such a nice man so there will be a void without him. My thoughts and prayers are with you. May God comfort you! Sharon Mercado
Robert Hovland says
Bill Walker was someone I respected highly for his knowledge of radio and television. He worked for the same Zenith distributor in Billings, MT that my father, George Hovland, worked for (Midland Implement Company), and one day my Dad had Bill come over to our home on Louise Lane to install a jack and switch for an add-on 45 record player on our 1939 Zenith radio console. That was the beginning of my love for equipment that played recorded music. I eventually founded Hovland Company in Los Angeles, CA, and with my partners, built some of the finest vacuum tube HiFi/stereo home electronics made anywhere.
As I recall, Bill hired and helped teach a Hungarian immigrant named Lotse to be his electronic assistant in his TV/radio repair business in Billings. Bill was a wonderful guy, I did not know his family, but I always had fond memories of him all the times I met him, and all the times my Dad talked about him. He definitely enriched my life, even though he may not have known just how much. I was lucky to have met him, and to have his work on our Zenith radioi influence my life so greatly. My sincere condolences to his wife and family.
Robert Hovland
Los Angeles, CA