Thomas William Walker

He was predeceased by his wife Doris Walker, who passed away in 2012.

Tom was born in Minneapolis on Nov. 12, 1927, to Oran Frank Walker and Ruth Honora Walker. His parents moved the family to Southern California in 1932 in search of work opportunities during the Depression. They settled in Montebello where they raised Tom and his younger brother, Don.

Tom met Doris Ellen Couch in 1947 after he returned from serving 7 1/2 months in Korea as a military policeman. They married in 1951. Tom returned to work at the Angelus Sanitary Can Machine Company in Vernon, California, where he had worked while in high school. He became a senior mechanical design engineer. While living in Montebello they had three daughters, later moving the family to the new suburban community of Hacienda Heights in 1962.

As outdoors enthusiasts, he and Doris took their daughters on many camping and backpacking trips. They were both involved in scouting and enjoyed working with youth. One of their most challenging adventures was to take 10 girls on a 40 mile trek through the Sierra Nevadas.

He retired to Oregon in 1982 and began improving a 12-acre parcel in Sams Valley that he and Doris would name "Todowa Springs Ranch." In the following years, they turned Todowa into their home and a family gathering place.

In his retirement, Tom set up a home machine shop that he used to repair equipment around the ranch and to make machined items for family & friends. He and Doris raised cattle, dogs and chickens, as well as ducks and geese that made their home in the pond on their property. The couple’s interest in rockhounding led Tom and Doris to volunteer at the Crater Rock Museum in Central Point. He also volunteered as a sexton at the Antioch Cemetery, and assisted with efforts to record the history of the cemetery and the former community of Beagle that it had served. One of Tom's great passions was working on cars and his pièce de résistance was restoration of a 1950 Chevrolet Bel Air to original condition.

Tom and Doris were lifelong members of the Friends Church and their faith led them on several missions through Central and South America.

He is survived by his brother, Donald; his three daughters, Deanna Mann (Rich), Robin Velasco (David) and Tammy Rozman (Pat); six grandchildren; and one great grandchild.

His services will be held graveside at 11 a.m. on September 22 at Antioch Cemetery, 14350 Antioch Rd. Sam's Valley, Oregon.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Evangelical Friends Mission or the Antioch Cemetery.