Obituary for Hugh Douglas Walker, Ph.D.
WALKER, Ph.D., Hugh Douglas
January 31, 1938 – January 23, 2020
Hugh died unexpectedly yet peacefully on Thursday January 23, 2020, surrounded by family, at Lennox and Addington Hospital in Napanee, Ontario. He was almost 82. Predeceased by his son James (Sue) in 2019, he is survived by Kay (née Berryhill), his wife of 58 years, his three sons William (Karen), Robert, and John (Coral), his six grandchildren Calvin, Aidan, Taiga, Koan, Britton, and Blakeney, three step-grandchildren Madeline, Maggie, and (mini-)Calvin, and his three siblings Gordon (Jan), Hilary (Michael), and Mary. Fondly remembered by nephews, cousins, and extended family, notably life wrangler Jamie (sons Edward and Daniel). He was born in Toronto and educated at UCC, McGill (Scarlet Key member), and Vanderbilt in Nashville, TN, where he earned his doctorate in Health Economics and met his wife-to-be. Professionally he alternated between teaching at various universities and civil service positions. He taught at Vanderbilt, the University of the South in Sewanee, TN, Indiana University (two stints), McMaster, University of Toronto, and lastly from 1994 into the 2000s at Queen’s. Outside of academe, on his return to Canada in 1968 he worked at the Ontario Hospital Services Commission, and later held positions in Saskatchewan Public Health and Alberta Occupational Health and Safety, where he was Deputy Minister. Late in his career he dedicated himself to his consulting business in Kingston, Walker Economics, until his retirement in 2012. In his teens he spent a summer in Quebec City in the reserves as a 2nd Lieutenant, a designation he somehow parlayed into a lifelong connection with various military service organizations. He had a number of interests in his life. Though it is generally agreed that he was not good at it, he enjoyed driving. He liked to take the back roads, and destinations were often paired with his interest in history. Beginning in the mid-1970s he became a dedicated cyclist. In Regina he was a member of the Wascana Freewheelers, which permitted him to indulge his interests in cycling and eating ice cream. In 1986 as part of a small group he biked across the U.S. from the Pacific coast in Washington State to the Atlantic coast in Maine; it was also on this trip that (as a requirement of the journey) he did his only cooking. He enjoyed golf and considered the charming 9 hole former rock farm at Hamilton Bay, Stony Lake his home course. Over the years he worked at improving his game, eventually settling for consistent instead. He was an avid bridge player, connecting with the game in the many places he lived. He was someone who, from the first days of home computers onward, wanted to have the most up-to-date technology, particularly as it related to his modelling of health care systems. He was a voracious purchaser of books, to the point that on occasion large numbers of boxes of books needed to be donated or otherwise moved out of the house. He was a fan of the musical group the Weavers, and he liked to listen to recordings of steam train sounds, a preference that made long car rides particularly challenging, as he was also not known to be collaborative on trips. He had a fondness for liver-and-white Springer spaniels, most of whom sported names beginning with “J”. He was not a fan of vegetables, though he was known to impose sweet potatoes on others. He was a generous person with resources and with his time. In Kingston he was involved with the Men’s Group and the administration at Edith Rankin Memorial United Church. He was interested in people and enjoyed conversing, both in asking questions to learn about others and in talking about things he found interesting. He enjoyed a good story, to the point that he and Kay attended storytelling festivals, and he had a good sense of humour and liked a good laugh. Family and connections were important to him. He was interested in family history and made a number of trips to research his background. He enjoyed get-togethers at Stony Lake and family events, and regularly watched his children and grandchildren play hockey, soccer, etc. In his last years he enjoyed playing cribbage with his children and grandchildren, seemingly always managing to get good cards. He maintained long-term friendships with a number of people, notably Helen Kydd, beginning at McGill, and Denis and Gloria Lyons. Particularly when their children were young, the Walkers and Lyonses shared a synchronized peripatetic friendship, starting in Toronto in the late 1960s with later stops together in Ancaster, Regina, and Edmonton.
He dealt with mental health issues over the course of his life, and his last years were marked by dementia. He remained a character throughout, and was well liked at Village Green nursing home, where he received top quality care over the last 2½ years of his life. It was universally acknowledged that he had great hair. Cremation has taken place. A memorial ceremony will take place at a later date. A marker will be placed in the family plot at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto.
January 31, 1938 – January 23, 2020
Hugh died unexpectedly yet peacefully on Thursday January 23, 2020, surrounded by family, at Lennox and Addington Hospital in Napanee, Ontario. He was almost 82. Predeceased by his son James (Sue) in 2019, he is survived by Kay (née Berryhill), his wife of 58 years, his three sons William (Karen), Robert, and John (Coral), his six grandchildren Calvin, Aidan, Taiga, Koan, Britton, and Blakeney, three step-grandchildren Madeline, Maggie, and (mini-)Calvin, and his three siblings Gordon (Jan), Hilary (Michael), and Mary. Fondly remembered by nephews, cousins, and extended family, notably life wrangler Jamie (sons Edward and Daniel). He was born in Toronto and educated at UCC, McGill (Scarlet Key member), and Vanderbilt in Nashville, TN, where he earned his doctorate in Health Economics and met his wife-to-be. Professionally he alternated between teaching at various universities and civil service positions. He taught at Vanderbilt, the University of the South in Sewanee, TN, Indiana University (two stints), McMaster, University of Toronto, and lastly from 1994 into the 2000s at Queen’s. Outside of academe, on his return to Canada in 1968 he worked at the Ontario Hospital Services Commission, and later held positions in Saskatchewan Public Health and Alberta Occupational Health and Safety, where he was Deputy Minister. Late in his career he dedicated himself to his consulting business in Kingston, Walker Economics, until his retirement in 2012. In his teens he spent a summer in Quebec City in the reserves as a 2nd Lieutenant, a designation he somehow parlayed into a lifelong connection with various military service organizations. He had a number of interests in his life. Though it is generally agreed that he was not good at it, he enjoyed driving. He liked to take the back roads, and destinations were often paired with his interest in history. Beginning in the mid-1970s he became a dedicated cyclist. In Regina he was a member of the Wascana Freewheelers, which permitted him to indulge his interests in cycling and eating ice cream. In 1986 as part of a small group he biked across the U.S. from the Pacific coast in Washington State to the Atlantic coast in Maine; it was also on this trip that (as a requirement of the journey) he did his only cooking. He enjoyed golf and considered the charming 9 hole former rock farm at Hamilton Bay, Stony Lake his home course. Over the years he worked at improving his game, eventually settling for consistent instead. He was an avid bridge player, connecting with the game in the many places he lived. He was someone who, from the first days of home computers onward, wanted to have the most up-to-date technology, particularly as it related to his modelling of health care systems. He was a voracious purchaser of books, to the point that on occasion large numbers of boxes of books needed to be donated or otherwise moved out of the house. He was a fan of the musical group the Weavers, and he liked to listen to recordings of steam train sounds, a preference that made long car rides particularly challenging, as he was also not known to be collaborative on trips. He had a fondness for liver-and-white Springer spaniels, most of whom sported names beginning with “J”. He was not a fan of vegetables, though he was known to impose sweet potatoes on others. He was a generous person with resources and with his time. In Kingston he was involved with the Men’s Group and the administration at Edith Rankin Memorial United Church. He was interested in people and enjoyed conversing, both in asking questions to learn about others and in talking about things he found interesting. He enjoyed a good story, to the point that he and Kay attended storytelling festivals, and he had a good sense of humour and liked a good laugh. Family and connections were important to him. He was interested in family history and made a number of trips to research his background. He enjoyed get-togethers at Stony Lake and family events, and regularly watched his children and grandchildren play hockey, soccer, etc. In his last years he enjoyed playing cribbage with his children and grandchildren, seemingly always managing to get good cards. He maintained long-term friendships with a number of people, notably Helen Kydd, beginning at McGill, and Denis and Gloria Lyons. Particularly when their children were young, the Walkers and Lyonses shared a synchronized peripatetic friendship, starting in Toronto in the late 1960s with later stops together in Ancaster, Regina, and Edmonton.
He dealt with mental health issues over the course of his life, and his last years were marked by dementia. He remained a character throughout, and was well liked at Village Green nursing home, where he received top quality care over the last 2½ years of his life. It was universally acknowledged that he had great hair. Cremation has taken place. A memorial ceremony will take place at a later date. A marker will be placed in the family plot at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto.