Thomas "Tom" G. Walker Jr.

Tom was born in Albertville on Dec. 10, 1953, to Thomas Greene Walker, Sr. and Johnnie Faye Braswell. As a child, he loved visiting his grandparents alongside his older sister, Brenda. His parents and grandparents helped instill his deep love of God, country, and family, and these values would later shape his calling in life when he imagined, created, and founded the American Village.

Tom attended the University of Montevallo where he studied political science and history, graduating with honors in 1975. It was at his beloved UM that he met and fell in love with his wife, the former Betty Ann Driver. From the beginning of their relationship, Betty was his rock and steadfast companion. Tom served as Student Government Association President, and along with Betty and a host of dear friends that became like family, he worked for the betterment of the university—though he and his friends might have occasionally been seen more as “thorns in the side” of the administration. This would be just the beginning of Tom’s efforts and eventual reputation as someone who wanted to create positive change.

Tom and Betty married in 1976, and he served as a Government Specialist with the Cooperative Extension Service while attending Mississippi State University, where he earned his master’s in political science in 1981. Later, he and Betty moved to Northport, AL, where he served as the City Manager and City Clerk. During these years, he and Betty welcomed their first child, Matt, in 1980. Little sister Jane joined the family in 1982, and the four Walkers soon moved to Montgomery, AL, when Tom became the Executive Officer of the Alabama Association of Realtors. In 1986, they welcomed little brother Jeff to the family.

It was not long before Tom was called back to Montevallo to serve as Special Assistant to the President and Director of Governmental Relations, where he continued his work bettering the university that brought him so much joy. While serving these roles and raising a family, Tom had an idea for a historical camp based on American history. This idea became the basis for the American Village. Chartered in 1995, the American Village held its grand opening on November 30, 1999. Standing on 188-acres in Montevallo, the American Village serves the Nation as an educational institution that seeks to strengthen and renew the foundations of American liberty and constitutional self-government by engaging and inspiring citizens and leaders, with a special emphasis on programs for young people. Since its opening, the American Village has served more than 800,000 students from the southeastern United States and attracts thousands of public visitors each year.

Tom’s work served a purpose—to inspire a deep knowledge of and appreciation for America’s legacy of freedom, and to commemorate the sacrifices paid to ensure liberty and justice for all. Because of his service to citizenship education, Tom was one of only 16 citizens appointed to the United States Semiquincentennial Commission, which oversees the nation’s 250th birthday celebration and commemoration of independence. Tom was unanimously elected as Vice Chair of the Commission at its first meeting in Philadelphia, PA.

Tom also volunteered his time and talents to the Montevallo and Shelby County communities, helping found the Leadership Shelby County program, leading the efforts to locate the Alabama National Cemetery to Montevallo, and serving the University of Montevallo as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees and President of the National Alumni Association.

Numerous organizations recognized Tom for his service and tireless efforts. Among them, he has been recognized by the American Bar Association, receiving the Isidor Starr Award for Excellence in K-12 Law-Related Education. The Sons of the American Revolution and Daughters of the American Revolution both awarded Tom with their highest national honors: the SAR Distinguished Patriot Leadership Award and Gold Citizenship Medal and the DAR Medal of Honor. The Citizenship Trust Board of Trustees presented him with the Cornerstone of Liberty Legacy Award for Exemplary American Leadership. For his dedication to the University of Montevallo, the UM National Alumni Association honored him with both the Alumnus Loyalty and the Distinguished Alumni Awards. For his service to the community, Tom received an honorary doctorate of laws from Troy University. The Women’s Committee of Birmingham named him as a “Birmingham Citizen of the Year.” In 2024, he was an inductee in the inaugural class of the Shelby County Hall of Fame. Most recently, on the day of his passing, the American Village dedicated and named their newest building in his honor: the Thomas G. Walker, Jr. Independence Hall.

While Tom’s enduring legacy is felt around the nation, state, and institutions he loved, he is also fondly remembered for the joy he brought his family and friends on a daily basis. Tom often proclaimed, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it,” and he lived with this mindset of appreciating and giving thanks each day for his many blessings in life. He loved spending time with his children and his wife, reading books to his grandsons, and talking on the phone for hours at a time to old friends. He loved a good dessert and a cold glass of milk, playing favorite hymns and show tunes on the piano, and making “Dad jokes” and puns. His family will remember his wisdom, encouragement, and unconditional love, along with the numerous family trips to historical sites, his enthusiasm for their successes, and the way he hilariously messed up orders at drive-through windows. Family and friends alike know that Tom loved them big, and he was never afraid to share and show his emotions.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas G. Walker, Sr. and Faye Walker; his parents-in-law, Marvin and Joan Driver; his brother-in-law, Gilbert Cash; his daughter-in-law, Elizabeth DeWeese Walker; and his grandparents. Tom is survived by his loving wife of 49 years, Betty; their three children, Matt (Candace Herron), Jane (Josh) Herndon, and Jeff; his two precious grandchildren, Wells and Whitt Herndon; his dear sister, Brenda Cash; his brothers and sisters-in-law, Tom and Cathy Driver and Doug and Kellie Driver; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Visitation and the funeral service for Tom will be held on Tuesday, September 30, at the Lucille Ryals Thompson Chapel at the American Village in Montevallo. Visitation will be from 12:00-2:00 p.m., with the funeral service immediately following at 2:00 p.m. Burial will then follow at Montevallo Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the American Village (PO Box 6, Montevallo, AL 35115).