Don Walker

Don Walker was born on Friday, May 7th 1954, and lived 72 years and 3 days before his passing on Sunday, May 10th 2026. 

The seventh son, he was a happy surprise to his parents and to his 5 older sisters, who treated him like their own baby instead of a brother. Don was very proud to have grown up in Comanche County in Cache, Oklahoma. He was heavily influenced by the Native Americans he grew up with in Cache and later in life enjoyed painting, making jewelry and coup sticks reflecting the love he had for the Native culture. 

He spent many hours learning life lessons at Louis Pool Hall in Cache but it was at the Red Coat Inn in Lawton where he met the love of his life, Dee. On their first date he told her he didn’t dance, so she got up to dance with an old boyfriend. He decided after that he did, in fact, dance and they went out dancing almost every weekend for many years and continued to dance on the deck most weekends until just a few weeks ago. They married in June of 1975 and two years later their daughter Melissa was born. Don and Melissa were kindred spirits. When she was small they enjoyed spa days where he would paint her nails and blow-dry her hair, going to Braum’s for ice cream in his jeep, metal detecting or just driving around the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge together. 

Don loved all genres of music and encouraged the same for his daughter. The race to see who could be the first to name the title and artist of a song was a never-ending game for them. He rarely got angry or raised his voice when raising Melissa, all he had to do was tell her he was disappointed. Some people say he spoiled her; no doubt he loved her unconditionally and she knew it. In 1998 Melissa married her husband Michael, who was so much more than his daughter’s husband, he was like a son to him and was his best friend. Don loved that Michael liked to play pool as much as he did and that he was even almost as good as he was. Almost. Don and Michael played countless pool games together throughout the years, spent many days watching and discussing sports and many nights sitting in the backyard solving the world’s problems – typically bourbon was involved in these activities. 

In 2008 Don and Dee left Oklahoma for Alabama to be closer to their grandsons Ethan and Reese. It was no surprise to anyone that Don was an excellent grandfather. Pepa was the name his grandsons gave him after he suggested they call him Mr. Walker. He enjoyed spending time with his grandsons fishing, having extensive matchbox car races, and he rarely missed a baseball or soccer game. Although he had many things in life to be proud of, nothing made him prouder than his grandsons. Through the years all six of them often vacationed together, usually having as much fun getting there as they did at their destination. They always had the most fun just being together playing poker or dominoes, listening to music and laughing. 

Don had an uncanny ability to make whoever he was speaking with feel like the most important person in the world. He believed that everyone had a story to tell and when he listened to you, you felt seen. Everyone had a seat at his table and he believed that people are all more alike than they are different. He not only had an amazing effect on people that new him well but everywhere he went strangers would come up to him and say they “recognized him from somewhere”. We now know they were recognizing his gentle and compassionate soul shining through his eyes. Whether you knew him as dad, Pepa or Don everyone agreed – he was absolutely the coolest guy you knew.  

Don was proceeded in death by his parents, William Henry and Alva Mae Walker, siblings Ronnie (Bud) Walker, Glenda Albertson and Sandra Pulis and infant son Clinton Don Walker. 

He is survived by his beloved wife of 50 years and 11 months, Dee Walker, daughter Melissa and her husband Michael Owens, grandsons Ethan and Reese Owens, favorite daughter Alison Green and her kids Cooper and Paisley who he loved so much, in laws and special friends Victor and Shorty Shepherd who took in Don and Dee as family when they moved to Alabama, in laws and lifelong friends Nub and Cyndie Smith, siblings Joy Rowell and her husband Bill, Betty Scott, Becky Wallis and her husband Dwayne, in laws Marshal Morton and his wife Jan, and numerous other relatives and friends that he loved.
Although we will miss his irreplaceable advice, grounding presence and the feeling of his arms around us, we know how extraordinarily lucky we were to have this exceptional person in our lives for so many years. His family and friends will bask in the shade of the trees he planted for generations to come.

The family had a very impromptu get together on Memorial Day Weekend and plan to have a celebration of life at a later date, but we ask that everyone please join us in honoring him by doing the things he enjoyed: turn your music up, tell your loved ones how important they are to you, pet a dog, sit quietly outside listening to the birds and trees. Have a drink for a life well lived and a man well loved, Don Walker. Cheers