Robert Kent Walker

The Reverend Robert Kent Walker, 82, died peacefully at his home on August 6, 2007. His family and friends remember this man of extraordinary compassion as a selfless servant of goodness and mercy.Born to a farming family in Clinton, Illinois, Robert Kent Walker was the youngest child of Carle C. and Ruth Kent Walker. Agriculture, creative expression, and a concern for others framed his life. In 1942, he enlisted in the US Army, playing French horn in the Army Band. Following discharge from military service, he completed a degree in Agriculture in 1947 at the University of Illinois and farmed for seven years. He served as assistant farm advisor in Morgan County for two years. He married Patricia Price in 1951. Robert Kent would later recount that a desire for deeper interaction with others led him to enroll in the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary. He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church in the USA in 1960. He was to serve five congregations, in Coal Valley, Galesburg, and Peoria as well as Chaplain at Methodist Medical Center in Peoria, retiring from employed ministry in 1987. In spite of a life-threatening disease prognosis in 1972, Rev. Walker survived Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and lived 35 more years of Christian stewardship. A favorite project involved selling enough sweet corn at the farmers market to finance a very large donation of fresh food for the local food pantry. In 1995, he acquired and operated a farm outside of Caledonia, employing the organic farming practices he considered to be responsible business practice. He also found time to volunteer for numerous community projects: as a literacy tutor, an American Red Cross volunteer, CROP volunteer, a local board member for Bread for the World, a farm land preservation activist, an advocate of non-violence, and an active participant of Urban Ministries of Rockford. He supported numerous environmental and community-oriented organizations. Recreationally, Robert Kent played with the Knox-Galesburg Symphony, the Peoria Pops Orchestra, and the Rockford Horn Club.He was also an avid reader of current events and a masterful woodworker. Rev. Walker was devoted to his wife of 56 years, his three children and his eight grandchildren. His children, David A. Walker (Teresa) of Caledonia, John R. Walker (Kate) of Wheaton, and Kathryn Walker Zavaleta of Machesney Park, wish to thank the congregation of Spring Creek United Church of Christ and Northern Illinois Hospice for their support during his recent illness. He is also survived by his older two sisters, Caroline Manock and Ruth (Robert) Peverly, Clinton, Illinois. His adoring grandchildren-Sarah Elizabeth Walker (Edward MacCormick), Carle Zavaleta, Jeremy Walker, Joel Zavaleta, Michael Walker, Mitchell Walker, Luke Walker, and Elijah Walker- cherish his memory. Family and friends treasure the prayers and reflections he wrote, including: And now may the courage of the early mornings dawning"¦the life that is Christ and the peace of the evenings ending be with you now and evermore. All are invited to a memorial service and celebration of his life at Spring Creek United Church of Christ in Rockford on Saturday, August 11, at 1:00 pm with fellowship to follow. Fitzgerald Funeral Home & Crematory, Mulford Chapel, at 815-226-2273 is handling arrangements. The family suggests contributions in lieu of flowers to: Rockford Urban Ministries, the Natural Land Institute, and the Mayo Clinic for research on celiac disease.