Douglas M. Walker

Douglas Melvin Walker, age 61, passed away at the Dayton VA Medical Center on Thursday, March 22, 2012. He was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, on May 30, 1950, and moved to the United States during his high school years. After graduating from Elston Senior High School in Michigan City, Ind., he attended Purdue University and completed the Ironworkers’ Local 395 Apprenticeship Program in Hammond, Ind. He served our country in the US Army as a field repairman and was a squad leader during basic training and AIT Infantry. Douglas was an ironworker for 20 years and very active in the union, and he was also a certified welder. While in Indiana, he worked for Midwest Steel Corp., Goshen Coach Corp., and as an independent subcontractor. He was a member of St. John’s United Church of Christ in Michigan City. In recent years, Douglas has lived in the Columbus, Ohio area where he worked as a plant manager in the window industry. His most recent position was as a quality engineer for several industries, mostly automotive. He attended CenterPoint Church in Lewis Center, Ohio. Douglas loved hockey, and he enjoyed playing golf. He also loved cars and spent some time racing, and he forged great relationships while working on cars with friends. He was able to enjoy several years of travel through his work, and he loved experiencing new places. He could fix anything, and he was a skilled woodworker. He had a passion for helping people, and he offered his time and talents to Habitat for Humanity as a volunteer. Most of all, Douglas cherished his family, and he will be dearly missed by his wife of 39 years, Linda Walker; children, Heather (Andy) Evans and Kristin Walker (John Scialabba); mother, Pearl Walker; grandchildren, Drew and Abigail; siblings, Sherry (Douglas) Cadwell and their family, and Craig (Donna) Walker and their family; siblings-in-law, Carol (Dale) Butts, Wanda Badkey, and Lee (Debi) Herrbach and their family; as well as many wonderful friends. He was preceded in death by his father, Melvin Walker. Family will receive friends from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 28, 2012, at the SCHOEDINGER WORTHINGTON CHAPEL, 6699 N. High St. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Dayton VA Hospice, or to Fisher/Nightingale Houses, Inc. Visit www.schoedinger.com to share a favorite memory of Douglas.