Thomas Gaylord Walker

Thomas Gaylord Walker

1932-2022

Tom Walker passed away suddenly the morning of July 5th 2022 when his heart gave out after 90 years of faithful service.

Thomas G. Walker was born in 1932 to parents Earl & Lena (Loveland) Walker, the last of 5 children. Tom may have been born to a plumber’s family, but he was blessed with a cowboy’s heart. When Tom was first born he was a tiny little thing that they kept in a shoebox on the door of the oven to keep him warm. But, he was a fighter, and fight he did, there was no better man to have in your corner when the chips were down.

Tom’s father, Earl taught him the work ethic that kept him moving & motivated for 90 yrs. Mother Lena taught him compassion & love. If you needed anything that Tom had – he’d just give it to you and if he didn’t have it - he’d work to help find you whatever was needed.

Tom Walker was a cowboy, a sailor, a Navy veteran of the Korean war, a plumber, handyman, auctioneer, truck driver, business owner, one tough SOB, a son, brother, uncle, husband, father, grandfather, & great-grandfather.

Tom married Sue Ann Czapanskiy (Carr) in 1965, divorced in 1978, & from that blessed union had three beautiful & ornery sons; Thomas, Michael, and Jason.

Tom remarried in 1982, to his high school sweetheart Joann Craig (Cousin) he immediately gained another son, 3 daughters, & 6 grandchildren. There would be more grandkids & great-grandkids, that brought “Grandpa Tom” a lifetime of joy in their 39 short years of marriage.

Tom also knew almost everybody within three counties, & if he didn’t know them, he would have likely known their parents or grandparents. He kept a laundry list of people that he would keep tabs on, reaching out just to make sure they were doing ok. If you were lucky enough to be one of these people, you knew the depth of his caring & love.

Tom enjoyed a variety of activities, from his early days of traveling the country on the rodeo circuit – calf roping & team roping were his events, to his later days serving as a volunteer fireman, self-appointed Talmo Sheriff, part-time lawn mower & tomato grower, & he very much enjoyed watching football, baseball, basketball, & rodeos, whether live events staring his family or just on TV.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents Earl & Lena Walker, brothers Leon, Lyle (Melina), & Don (Nell), sister Alma Erikson (Iver), son-in-law Bob “Birdy” Pugh, & grandson Cass Reynolds.

Tom is survived by his wife Joann Walker, children Thomas M. Walker (Henry Arthur Roberson) Michael L. Walker (Stephanie), and Jason S. Walker (Nancy), Robert “Bobby” Craig (Becky), Kathy Pugh, Pam Reynolds (Nick), and Marsha Nelson (Mike); 7 grandchildren, Kasey (Richard), Kelly (Matt), granddaughter-in-law Misty Reynolds, Jay T. (Kim), Nicki (Jeremy), Stacey (Trent), Robert III, and Charlsie (Turner); and 17 great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be held from 4pm-7pm at Nutter Mortuary in Concordia, Kansas Monday July, 11th. The memorial service will be Tuesday July 12th 10:30am at the Agenda Methodist church in Agenda, Kansas.

For online condolences, please visit nuttermortuary.com.