Don Walden

Don Walden, age 80, of Austin, Texas passed away on Sunday, March 31, 2024. Born Donald Carl Walden on April 8, 1943 in Peoria, Illinois, he was the first son of Gilbert Revel and Doris Mary Bencher Walden.

Don was preceded in death by his baby sister, Mary Lisa Walden. He is survived by five siblings: Patricia Walden Dyer, David Walden, Douglas Walden, Dennis Walden, and Kathleen Howell. Don is also survived by his loving wife, Karen Elizabeth Walden; son Kenneth Walden and wife Lyndsay Walden, with their children Eleanor Claire and Benjamin Andrew; daughter Ashley Davidson and husband Scott Yeldell. Don is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews.

Don and Elizabeth enjoyed traveling the world together, bird watching, and hunting with their Golden Retrievers, Rascher, Colt, and Danger.

Don served six years in the United States Army Medical Corps as a microbiology specialist, including a tour of duty during the Vietnam War. After leaving the Army, he earned a master's degree in microbiology from the University of Texas at Austin.

His time at UT forged an enduring passion for their athletics program. As a longtime season ticket holder for basketball and football, attending games and watching anything televised was always a high priority. So much so that he was at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena for the 2010 BCS National Championship game when his granddaughter Ellie was born.

In serving his lifelong passion for environmental issues and conservation, Don was instrumental in numerous early initiatives including the establishment of the Barton Creek Greenbelt. He also led the path for creating public access to Texas rivers.

Don became a well-respected land developer known for exceptional communities that prioritized the protection of wildlife habitats. He got his start helping to develop Shady Hollow and Millwood, among other neighborhoods in the Austin area. Among the first communities in Bee Cave, he worked on The Homestead, and later was responsible for developing Lake Pointe and Falconhead. He proudly partnered with Roy Spence, Judy Trabulsi, and many exceptional engineers and contractors, but it was his decades of friendship and partnership with Steve Gurasich that had the most lasting impact on his life.

An avid outdoorsman, Don enjoyed boating, hiking, and camping. As a hunter, he appreciated the delicate equilibrium between nature and man. His prized hunting property, the Palmetto Lodge, was a refuge that he joyfully shared with family, friends, and their dogs. His adventurous spirit never left him as he and Elizabeth, his wife of 29 years, set sail on numerous National Geographic voyages across the continents, trading flashy dinners for world renowned ecological and cultural destinations.

Don was diagnosed with lung cancer in early 2017 but was neither discouraged nor tamed by this diagnosis. In the spring of 2018, just after his initial treatment, he embarked upon a 30-day trip with Elizabeth, sister Patty and brother-in-law John Dyer to the Southern Hemisphere. There they walked among penguins, sea lions, and elephant seals while enjoying dramatic scenery and historic cultural sites.

Throughout his battle with cancer, Don meticulously researched and guided his care. If you didn't know better, you might have assumed that he was the doctor.

His family, especially his grandchildren, Ellie and Ben, were his greatest joy and kept Don fighting each day for more time with all of them.

A visitation for Don will be held Wednesday, April 10, 2024 from 10:00-10:45 AM at Emmaus Catholic Church, 1718 Lohmans Crossing Rd, Lakeway, TX 78734, followed by a funeral service at 11:00 AM.