Tommy L. Walker

Tommy Lewis Walker of Knoxville, Tenn. passed away peacefully at his home on March 2, 2023 (six days short of his 88th birthday) with his wife, Cathy G. Ackermann, and his precious puppy, Sicily, at his side. Born in Fort Cobb, Okla. on March 7, 1935, Tommy was a special combination of soft-hearted and quick-minded. He both laughed and cried easily and loved making new friends, while treasuring his old ones. Babies and animals alike could wrap him around their fingers/paws, and he had a gift for always seeing and appreciating the good in people. Tommy was a precious light in a somewhat cynical world, always giving people the benefit of the doubt and laughing at things that went completely unnoticed by others. If he loved you, you knew it. Tommy was an accomplished wood-turner who gifted his incredible art to his family, friends and charitable auction events over the years. It was impossible to know Tommy for more than five minutes without him proudly telling you all about his six grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. Some of his most treasured moments were when he attended family reunions in Texas, where most of his family resides, as well as Eagle Scout ceremonies for all three of his grandsons. For the last couple of decades, Tommy has lived in Knoxville with his wife Cathy, and some of their most memorable times together have been the many weekends spent at their mountain home in Townsend, Tenn., entertaining family and friends, hiking in the nearby Smoky Mountains, or just relaxing on the deck and watching the sun set over the mountains. He and Cathy have been avid travelers, visiting 23 different countries in their 22 years of marriage, in addition to annual trips to Sedona, Ariz., where they were married, and to Hilton Head, S.C. each summer. The son of Alfred Swain Walker and Helen Hewitt Walker, he and his sister Elaine Walker Dinger grew up in various parts of Oklahoma and the Pacific Northwest. Tommy attended the Oklahoma Military Academy and the University of Oklahoma where he was a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity and was in the Army ROTC program. Following graduation, he married Charmion Whittle and joined the US Army. He was stationed at Ft. Bragg and rose to be an aide to the commanding general. During this time, he attended school at the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade at Fort Benning, Georgia, where he learned to parachute from planes. He then entered the private sector and began a successful career with IBM in Texas before leaving to help start National Sharedata Bancshares, which was later purchased by Western Union. Over the next 40 years, Tommy participated in various business ventures while raising his family in Texas. Some of his hobbies have included flying a Mooney airplane, snow skiing, fishing, scuba diving and golf, and his friends would add, telling wild tales and long stories! A man of faith, Tommy’s family and friends always loved his meal-time prayers which were very special, personal and “uniquely Tommy.” Tommy is survived by his beloved children – daughter and son-in-law Sabrina and Mike Drewry of San Antonio, TX; son and daughter-in-law Craig and Donese Walker of Dallas, TX; precious grandchildren and their spouses: Lauren Drewry (Jon) Spear of San Antonio, TX; Walker (Brittany) Drewry of Dallas, TX; Brittany Walker (Zach) Biales of Austin, TX; Zac (Kellye) Walker of Midland, TX; Abbie Walker (Thomas) Cole of Fayetteville, Ark.; Cody (Sarah) Walker of Midland, TX; and also his great-grandchildren: Eli, Jude, Isaac and Emerson Spear; Graham and Hunter Drewry; Weston, Avery and Drew Biales; David, Hannah and Preston Walker; Walker, Jackson and Ryleigh Cole; and Grace and Reese Walker. His family expresses deep gratitude to Tonia Gatch, his primary caregiver, the other devoted caregivers who have surrounded him these past few months with their love and attention, and The University of Tennessee Medical Center Hospice. Tommy’s life was not only well-lived and fully lived but was also uniquely lived, and all those who knew him will miss the burst of sunshine (and his famous “peace sign”) that he brought into every room he entered. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Tommy Lewis Walker to either the University of Tennessee Medical Center Hospice and Palliative Care Fellowship (online or send to the Office of Philanthropy at 2121 Medical Center Way, Suite 110, Knoxville, Tenn. 37920) or the Pellissippi State Foundation (online at pstcc.edu/foundation/giving/or send to P.O. Box 22990, Knoxville, Tenn. 37933). Tommy’s life will be celebrated on Thursday, March 23 at 4:00 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral, 414 Church St., Knoxville, Tenn., followed by a reception in the Great Hall. Online condolences may be expressed at rosefuneraltn.com.

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Tommy L. Walker

March 7, 1935 - March 2, 2023