Dr. E. Walker

WALKER, David Earl, 61, of Beavercreek, Ohio, passed away unexpectedly on January 8, 2020. Dave was born to the late Henry "Hank" Leon Walker and Katherine Jane Walker on June 12, 1958 in Denton, Texas.

Dr. Walker earned his Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Aerospace Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. Upon graduation, he commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force, where he achieved his childhood dream of becoming an aviator. Over the course of his career, he flew 65 different types of aircraft and accumulated over 2,700 flying hours. A Distinguished Graduate of USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB, CA, he went on to serve as an Experimental Test Navigator and an Experimental Test Weapons System Officer for the F-15E. Following his graduation from Air Command and Staff College, he earned his PhD in Aeronautical Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. He returned to Edwards, where he first served as the Chief of Instructor Training and Curriculum Development at the Test Pilot School and later became the school's Deputy Commandant. After graduating from Air War College, he served as Deputy Chief of the Common Systems Division and the Chief of the Agile Combat Support Division in the Directorate of Global Power Programs at the Pentagon. Returning to Wright-Patterson as a Colonel, he served as the Director of Air Vehicles at the Air Force Research Laboratory. He then moved back to Edwards, where he Commanded the Operations Group of the 412th Test Wing of the USAF Flight Test Center. His final assignment in his active duty career took him back to AFRL in Wright-Patterson, where he served as the Vice Commander. Upon his retirement in 2006, he entered the Senior Executive Service and became the Director of Materials and Manufacturing at AFRL. He returned to the Pentagon, where he worked as the Associate Director of Programs in Plans and Programs, Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition Integration, and finally as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Science, Technology and Engineering. His last assignment as an SES was as the Research and Development Portfolio Director in the Office of Naval Research. With his long history with aerospace technology and innovation, he became the Executive Director of the Wright Brothers Institute in Dayton, OH.

Dr. Walker's 40-year long career was defined by his hard work, high expectations, and unquestionable integrity. He was known as an innovator and was an enthusiastic supporter of research and technology. He always looked for optimal solutions to complex problems and was never satisfied with the status quo. While Dr. Walker never sought to make a name for himself, his extraordinary reputation ensured that he was always recognized and respected wherever he went.

Dave's many and varied personal interests are difficult to sum up in just a few sentences, but he is best known for his love of bicycles, golf, and airplanes. He was incredibly handy, infinitely curious, and constantly moving. Wherever it was he called home at any given point, it was a priority for him to have a full workshop set up so he could do woodworking, electronics repair, and bicycle tuning. If something was broken, he wanted to fix it. He approached every challenge with equal measures of enthusiasm and serious focus, whether it was the repair of a small toy or the full overhaul of a high-performance bicycle.
Dave loved to travel and was fortunate in recent years to have had opportunities to tour various countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. He particularly enjoyed sampling the local fare and often brought those flavors to his kitchen at home. He loved to learn more about the different languages and customs of the places he visited and would often explore cities on his own to take in all the sights and sounds.

Dave genuinely cherished every moment of his life and squandered nothing. He leaves behind his beloved wife of 38 years, Takako, and his daughters Christine Elaine Combs, Cathleen Elizabeth (David) Gray, Frances Jane (Alan) Harbin, and Anne Yoko (Alicia) Walker. He also leaves behind his siblings Frances Elaine Hayslip, Steven Anderson (Lori) Walker, Virginia Anne (Jim) Meeks, as well as many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his brothers-in-law Yoshikuni Mochizuki and Gary Lynn Hayslip.

His funeral will take place on Friday, January 31 at 11:30 AM at the Porter Loring North Funeral Home, 2102 North Loop 1604 East, San Antonio 78232. He will be laid to rest at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery at 1:45 PM at Committal Shelter #5. All are welcome.

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