John E. Walker

John E. Walker, 95, of Kansas City, MO, passed peacefully from this life early Friday, August 28, 2020 surrounded by his eight children. Though his body was weak the last six months of his life, John maintained a happy, positive attitude that has been his most enduring trait, comforting others while being cared for and comforted.

John was born June 14, 1925 to Charles and Mae Walker in Boone, Iowa. John’s parents Charles and Mae provided for their three children, Dean, John, and Mary Margaret, especially during difficult economic times. The three were raised in a home that valued Catholic faith, hard work, and doing what was right.

John’s children often heard stories of growing up in Boone and later Lohrville, Iowa. It’s not difficult to picture that carefree, fun-loving young man who enjoyed playing the trumpet or working with his grandparents on their farm. “Swish Walker” loved sports (and perhaps a tall tale or two). In his teen years, John loved traveling to nearby Carroll, Iowa to listen to the music of Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, and Jimmy Dorsey. His sister Mary Margaret was often John’s dance partner, helping him perfect the dance moves that he would later use at Father-Daughter dances, weddings, and parties hosted by his children.

After graduating from Lohrville High School, John enlisted in the Army Air Corps where he served for three years as a staff sergeant. With the help of the GI Bill, John attended Loras College in Dubuque, IA, graduating in 1950. He was employed by International Harvester in 1950, working in sales around central Iowa. His bachelor life quickly came to an end, however, when his Aunt Florence introduced him to a beautiful young nurse, Margaret Wright. On October 1, 1955, John and Margaret were married in Des Moines, IA.

Rearing children and working at International Harvester was the work of this young couple. As John shot his way up in company management with multiple job transfers, Margaret was having children and raising them at each destination. From Des Moines, IA (Brian), to Marshalltown, IA (Theresa and Janann), to Springfield, IL (Peggy, Mary, and Mike), to Indianapolis, IN (Julie) and back to Des Moines (Laurie), Margaret was at home raising their eight children while John provided. In 1972, John and Margaret made their final move to Kansas City, MO. When John came to the family with another job promotion offer and transfer, Margaret and many of the teenaged children expressed disdain (and a lot of tears) for this idea. The Walkers were in Kansas City to stay!

John and Margaret invested close to 100 years in Catholic education for their children. Many memories were made in these schools, but St. Regis Grade School and O’Hara High School were the two in which John and Margaret took the most interest and spent the most time. John served on the Parish Council at St. Regis for many years. Both attended nearly all basketball, volleyball, and football games, as well as plays and musicals, drill team dances and cheerleading at St. Regis and O’Hara. No child felt neglected and many gallons of gas were used to show their children how much they loved them and how proud they were.

When the last child graduated from college, John and Margaret shifted their attention to themselves. After retiring from International Harvester and two post-retirement jobs at Ruan Trucking and KCR International, John enjoyed volunteering for local Catholic institutions. He counted money at the St. Joseph Hospital gift store and St. Matthew Catholic Church. He was a founding president of the Southeast Kansas City Serra Club. He was also a fourth degree in the Knights of Columbus. John embraced his Catholic faith and made many wonderful friends through these associations.

After his wife Margaret passed in 2005, John deepened friendships with the wonderful people at St. Regis. He was a regular lector and Eucharistic Minister and valued leader in conversations about schools, church, and community. He often spoke of how thankful he was to have friends at St. Regis who helped him after losing his beloved Margaret.

John lived by the simple motto that life is best lived with “faith, family, and friends.” John’s faith in God drove his daily interactions with others. John extended loving kindness to friends and strangers alike. John made loving God and sharing this faith with his family his greatest mission.

When living alone became more difficult, John moved to a retirement community and found love again. Janet O’Connor and John only had little under a year together, but in that time shared a wonderful companionship that sustained them both. 2020 has been a tough time for many, but John and Janet told a different story.

John was a loving father, a wise and wonderful advice giver, a fun and engaging grandfather and great-grandfather, a gifted, quick-with-a-retort communicator, and a man admired and loved by all who had the fortune to know him. He will be forever remembered and daily missed. Victor Hugo wrote, “to love another person is to see the face of God.” Anyone that loved John would know a sense of the divine.

John is preceded in death by his wife Margaret Walker, his parents Charles and Mae, his brother Monsignor Dean Walker, his sister Mary Margaret Dutton, and many beloved brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, and nephew Paul. John is survived by Janet O’Connor; children Brian (Karen) Walker, Theresa (Dennis) Duffin, Janann (Greg) Vardakis, Peggy Waker, Mary (Mark) Jordahl, Mike (Lori) Walker, Julie (Pete) Browne, and Laurie (Chris) Delong. He is also survived by fifteen grandchildren and spouses: John (Lauren) Walker, Christine (Matt) Trecker, Katie (Jack) Contri, Shannon (Neil) Wilmarth, Mark (Jenny) Vardakis, Megan (Joe) Longstreet, Kelly Jordahl, Margaret Jordahl, Thomas Delong, Charlie Delong, Maureen Browne, Joe Browne, Jack Browne and ten great-grandchildren, Avery, Briar, Edie, Ruth, Finn, Logan, Everett, Jane, Ruby, and Lucy.

The family is forever grateful for the team from Kansas City Hospice and Palliative Care (Kim, you’re an angel) for their compassionate support, the men and women at Brightstar Care who helped us with Dad’s daily and nightly care, the dedicated staff at Saint Anthony’s Catholic Retirement Community, and the priests who ministered to John over this last year.

The visitation will be held at McGilley State Line Chapel (12301 State Line Road, Kansas City, MO 64145) Tuesday, September 1 at 5-8 pm where social distancing and masks will be required to keep all friends and family of John Walker safe. A private funeral mass will be celebrated on Wednesday, September 2 at St. John Francis Regis (8941 James A. Reed Rd, Kansas City, MO 64138). Condolences may be left online at www.mcgilleystatelinechapel.com.

Memorial contributions may be given to St. John Francis Regis Catholic Church, which has been so important to the Walker family for forty-eight years.