Tom Walton

George Thompson Walton Jr. (Tom), 83, passed away on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 at his home on Granite Lake, surrounded by his loving family. Born in Keene Valley, New York on February 22, 1939, he was the son of George Thompson Walton, Sr. and Mazie (Sayre) Walton.

He graduated from and from SUNY Plattsburgh in 1961 with a B.S. in Education. Tom's first teaching position was in Schenectady where his love of skiing took him to accept a job as ski instructor at Shaker Village in Pittsfield, MA. It is there he met fellow instructor and love of his life, Judith Ripley of Troy, NH. They married in 1963.

Tom served in the Air Force during the Vietnam conflict. After graduating from officer's training and flight school as a Lieutenant, he was stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, Washington and flew as a navigator on B-52's. During his 3 tours Tom completed 85 missions in support of US troops in Vietnam from bases in Guam and U-Tapao, Thailand. He also flew airborne alert missions as part of Operation Chrome Dome, a key element of the US nuclear deterrent strategy during the Cold War. Tom was promoted to Captain in 1967 and honorably discharged in December of 1968.

Tom then returned to teaching, with a special passion for engaging his 5th graders in math and the sciences. He taught for 30 years at Sanford Street School in Glen Falls, NY. Tom was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Glens Falls, NY. He was an active member of the community serving on the YMCA Board and as an officer of the Queensbury Tennis and Swim Club. He refereed local high school soccer and basketball games and organized the Glens Falls school youth ski club at West Mountain.

Tom's real love was Camp Dudley on Lake Champlain in Westport, NY. He spent summers at Dudley over the course of 50+ years, first as a camper beginning in 1947, and then as a leader, and finally a staff member in charge of the boat house, where he oversaw operations and taught sailing, canoeing and water safety. He was recognized with a 50 year pin for his dedication to this fine camp for boys.

In retirement, he was an enthusiastic fan at his grandsons' sports events and musical concerts. Tom also enjoyed traveling and spending summers on Granite Lake in Stoddard, NH. He later relocated to Granite Lake full time, where he rejoiced in the outdoors year round. He served as a volunteer Lake Host, greeting boaters as they launched their craft and helping to prevent the spread of invasive species. He was the Treasurer of the Granite Lake Tennis Association and spent many hours on the courts. He was an active member of the Nelson Congregational Church in Nelson, NH.

In addition to his loving wife, Tom is survived by his son Derek Walton of Munsonville, NH, his wife Christine and their sons Ryan, Nick and Johnny; and by his daughter Debbie Collins, of Queensbury, NY and her husband Daniel and their sons Kevin, Sean and Danny. He is also survived by his brother, Richard Walton and his sister-in-law Janet of Schuylerville, New York, and their children Rebecca, Seth, Sarah and Bethany.

Friends are invited to a memorial service for Tom to be held at the Nelson Congregational Church in Nelson, NH on Sunday May 29 at 2:00 pm. The family will greet friends at a reception after the service. The service will be streamed on Zoom for those who are unable to travel or uncomfortable attending in person. Please click on the "Livestream" link under services listed below or copy and paste the following link into your browser: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81774170660

In lieu of flowers, a memorial gift may be made in Tom's memory to Camp Dudley's William J. Schmidt Scholarship Fund (www.campdudley.org).