Emory Eugene “Gene” Walker, 67, of Tifton died Tuesday, June 24, 2014, at Tift Regional Medical Center. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 28, 2014, at Victory Baptist Church. Rev. Dan Eidson and Rev. Glenn Ford will officiate with burial to follow in Oak Ridge Cemetery. Lamar Kennedy, Carson Burgess, Buddy Walker, Dennis Mills, Bill Wetherington and Donald Harper will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Mr. Walker’s nephews. The family will receive friends on Friday, June 27, 2014 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals. Mr. Walker will be placed in the church one hour prior to the service. The family will meet at Mr. Walker’s residence at 110 East 14th Street in Tifton.
Mr. Walker was born on April 11, 1947 in Tift County and was the son of William Alfred Walker and Kathleen Outlaw Walker, both deceased. He was also preceded in death by eight aunts, Annie Lou Outlaw Salters, Flora Bell Walker Rutland, Clara Mae Walker Mills, Jewell Walker Hall, Irene Walker Cox, Virginia Walker Young, Ressie Mae Walker and Dovie Walker Holmes; and three uncles, Eston Walker, Shine Walker and Henry Walker.
Mr. Walker loved to sit in his boat and fish with friends, then tell tales about who caught the biggest fish. He was a jokester, who liked to talk about the good old days. He was a loving father to his children and grandchildren, often playing pitch with grandsons, Walker and Coleman. He was a Christian and a member of Victory Baptist Church. He was a devoted and loyal employee of Avondale Mills.
Mr. Walker is survived by his wife, Carol Conley Walker, who he married in August of 1974; his children and their spouses, Jeremy “Jerry” Ryan and Jessica Walker of Tifton and Alisa Jill Walker Swaim and husband, Paul of Wilmore, Kentucky; his grandchildren, Walker Jennings Swaim, Coleman Harbor Swaim, Caroline Ruth Swaim, all of Wilmore, Kentucky; three sisters, Myrtle Walker O’Quinn, Myrtice Walker and JoAnn Walker Scarborough, all of Tifton; two brothers and sisters-in-law, Herman and Mildred Walker and John and Sybil Walker, all of Tifton; an aunt, Sherrie Walker Powers of Lakeland, Florida; five uncles, Ronald Walker of Nashville, L. A. Walker, of Gallion, Alabama, Wayne Walker of Maysville, North Carolina, Carlos Walker of Nashville and Roger Walker of Lakeland, Florida.