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MEMORIAL ARTICLE
Published Assembly Mar '90
Richard Harding Walker No.15623 Class of 1946
Died 2 August 1988 in West Chester, Pennsylvania, aged 64 years.
Interment: West Point Cemetery, West Point, New York.
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Richard Harding Walker (Dick) was born in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, on 15 November 1923, the son of Harold and Erna
(Hesse) Walker. He attended public school in Philadelphia and
graduated from West Point in June 1946. He married Naomi Elizabeth
(Betty) Thompson a few days after graduation. Dick's first military
assignment was Fort Benning, Georgia and then he went to Aberdeen,
Maryland. He was in the Ordnance Department and was then sent
to the University of Michigan, where he received his master's
degree in chemical engineering.
After Michigan, he was sent to Ordnance Ammunition
Command, Joliet, Illinois. At this point, Richard H. Walker Jr.
was born. Dick then did a tour of duty in Korea during the Korean
War and earned the Bronze Star. He did a short period of duty
at Picatinny Arsenal and then resigned from the Army.
Dick started working for the DuPont Company in
1954, and the family moved to West Chester, Pennsylvania. In
1955, Janice Ann Walker was born to complete the family. Dick's
association with DuPont continued until December 1987 when he
retired.
Dick was an active member of Westminster Presbyterian
Church in West Chester. He was council commissioner for Chester
County Boy Scouts of America from 1968 to 1973 and was awarded
the Silver Beaver Award, the highest award for adult volunteers.
Dick was also active in local township government.
He was a member of the Westtown Planning Commission for many
years. He was also a township supervisor. The Westtown Township
supervisors hung a plaque in the township building honoring Dick's
many years of service.
Dick was a fine husband, a fine father and a fine
citizen of his community. He exemplified the code of West Point;
Duty, Honor, Country.
A memorial service was held 5 August 1988 at Westminster
Presbyterian Church in West Chester. Dick was buried at West
Point on 15 August 1988, He is survived by his wife, Betty; his
son, Richard H. Walker Jr. of Hammonton, New Jersey; his daughter,
Dr. Janice Walker Anderson of Newburgh, New York; his brother,
Harold S Walker of York, Pennsylvania; and his three grandchildren
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