Walker, Joseph
WALKER, Dr. Joseph James
Dr. Joseph James Walker of Cumming, Georgia, passed away on June 7, 2023. Born to the late Joseph Paul Walker and Rita Elizabeth (Howe) on June 30, 1937, in Oak Park, Illinois, Joe had a distinguished career in education and was a lifelong public servant. A veteran of the Army Reserves, after finishing his bachelor's degree at DePaul University, he became an elementary school teacher, quickly rising to become an elementary school principal. While finishing his graduate studies at Loyola University of Chicago, he became an Assistant Director of the Illinois State Gifted Program and remained an innovator in gifted education throughout his entire career. He earned his doctorate in 1972 and became a consultant, author, noted speaker, and professor at the University of Georgia and Georgia State University where he was nationally recognized in his field. During his tenure at Georgia State University, he founded groundbreaking programs including Saturday School and Bounty, benefitting gifted students in Atlanta.
He met his beloved wife, Sharon Walker (nee Shields) in graduate school, and they married in 1972. Their daughter, Therese, was born in 1973.
A true Chicagoan at heart, Joe was a great storyteller and loved sharing tales of the old neighborhood. He was also a terrific artist – constantly drawing and creating illustrations for his family. His wonderful and wicked sense of humor, both abstract and observational, kept his family in stiches throughout the years. From the time he was a small boy, Joe loved westerns and Gene Autry was a particular favorite. Along with cowboy Gene, he had an affinity for the two famous ducks – Donald and Daffy, Laurel and Hardy, Sinatra, and Dean Martin.
Above all, Joe was a kind, gentle, and generous man. He was an extraordinary husband and father who was and will always be loved wholeheartedly by his family.
Joe is survived by his wife, Sharon; and daughter, Therese (Tracy); his nieces and nephews, Pamela Hanke (David), Catherine Bourque (Brian), and James Miervaldis; and grandnieces and nephew, Amber, Thea, Aubrey, and Max.
A memorial Mass will be held at St. Benedict Catholic Church on June 19, 2023 at 10:30 AM.
Condolences may be expressed at www.mcdonaldandson.com.
Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home, 150 Sawnee Drive, Cumming, GA 30040. (770) 886.9899.
View the obituary on Legacy.com
Funeral Home Information
McDonald and Son Funeral Home and Crematory - Cumming
150 Sawnee Dr.
Cumming, GA
30040
