Dr. Andrew William Walker

Dr. Walker (Andy), 78, of Charlotte, N.C., died peacefully September 25, 2011, at Presbyterian Hospital, Charlotte, after a lengthy illness. Born August 13, 1933, in Kohala, Hawaii, to the late Andrew Walker and Gertrude Graham Walker, Andy spent his childhood on the Big Island of Hawaii, much of it during the Second World War.

Andy was well-known for his love of fine food and wine, bridge, travel, genealogy, tennis, Civil War history, and his favorite sports teams: the Vanderbilt Commodores, St. Louis Cardinals, and Carolina Panthers. He was also respected for his commitment to community service, innovative business practices, attention to exceptional patient care, and dedication to providing for his family.

In 1951 Andy graduated high school from Western Military Academy in Alton, Ill., where he served as barracks chief and company commander, and received his bachelor's degree from Westminster College in Fulton, Mo., in 1955. He earned his medical degree from Vanderbilt University in 1960, and was a strident supporter of Commodores athletics teams, as well as the medical school and university at large, later serving as president of the Vanderbilt alumni association and chairman of the university's major gifts programs in western North Carolina. He held residencies in general surgery and plastic surgery at Washington University in St. Louis, in hand surgery at the University of Louisville, Ky., and under an NIH fellowship in cancer at Ellis Fischel State Cancer Hospital in Columbia, Mo.

In 1969, Andy joined the practice of Drs. William Berkley and Hal Chaplin, which later became Charlotte Plastic Surgery, where he performed plastic and reconstructive surgery until his retirement in 1996, and served as Medical Director of the Charlotte Surgery Center. He was vice-chairman of the Department of Plastic Surgery at Carolinas Medical Center and chief of the Department of Plastic Surgery at Presbyterian Hospital. He also held a clinical professorship with the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Andy was moved to become a plastic and reconstructive surgeon because of the devastating cancers he saw during his fellowship at Ellis Fischel. As president of the Charlotte chapter of the American Cancer Society he instituted a free skin clinic, enabling members of the community to have worrisome skin conditions examined by a volunteer staff of doctors; two melanomas were diagnosed as a result of this initiative. He traveled as a volunteer to third-world countries, including Jordan, China, and Tibet, with medical relief agencies to perform surgeries on needy patients. He also was a member of the first Charlotte surgical team to reattach human fingers.

Andy held leadership positions with the Southeastern Society of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeons (president), the North Carolina Society of Plastic, Maxillofacial & Reconstructive Surgeons (president), the Mecklenburg County Medical Society (president), the North Carolina Medical Society, the American Society of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeons, the American Association of Plastic Surgeons, and the American Board of Plastic Surgery (examiner). He was committed to physician education and initiated the Berkley Lecture series, in honor of Dr. William Berkley, and the Southeastern Society's annual Breast Surgery Symposium, now in its 28th year.

Among his numerous local community leadership positions, Andy was a member of the Charlotte Kiwanis Club (president), Tastevin Society, La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, and Chers Membres de l’Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs, the Charlotte Stamp Club, and Leadership Charlotte Class VI. He was a member of Selwyn Avenue Presbyterian Church and was formerly a member at First Presbyterian Church, where he served as deacon.

Andy was also well-known for his business acumen. He led Charlotte Plastic Surgery to open one of the first ambulatory surgery centers in the city. He was an investor in Tryon Distributing and served on its board of directors. He also held business interests in the travel, banking, and real estate industries.

Andy is preceded in death by his parents, Andrew and Gertrude, and his brother James. He is survived by his children Scott Walker; Bruce Walker and his wife, Vicki; and Heather Walker Youskauskas and her husband, John; former wife and the mother of his children, Kathleen Walker Hartley; brother Richard and his wife, Betty Jo; sister Eleanor Walker Threlkel, and her husband, James; grandchildren William Lari, Rachel Walker, Robin Youskauskas, and Jacob Walker; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

A service to celebrate Andy's life will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, September 29, 2011 at Selwyn Avenue Presbyterian Church, with the Reverends Rush Otey and Lori Raible officiating. The family will receive friends following the service at the church.

In lieu of flowers, please send memorial donations to the Physicians Impact Fund at Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation, P.O. Box 33549, Charlotte, NC 28233; or to Selwyn Avenue Presbyterian Church, 2929 Selwyn Ave., Charlotte, NC 28209.

The family wishes to thank the staff at Presbyterian Hospital and Selwyn Avenue Presbyterian Church, as well as numerous friends and family members, for their loving support throughout Andy's illness.

Condolences may also be expressed at www.harryandbryantfuneralhome.com