Bristol/Honeoye: Peacefully on August 10, 2017 at age 75 years. Predeceased by his parents Gerald & Dorothy Walker, his brother John Walker, and his sisters, Jean Leyland and Shirley Moore. Survived by his wife of 45 years, Margaret (Brennan) Walker and children; Katie (Seamus Mulligan) Walker of Pittsford and Daniel (Beth) Walker of MA; grandchildren, Ronan & Aoife Mulligan and Thomas Walker. Also survived by many nieces & nephews and many other loving family members and friends.
Del led a full life of his own design. He graduated with a Forestry Degree from Paul Smith’s College in the Adirondacks before building his dream home with his wife, a log cabin deep in the Bristol hills. He could always be spotted from afar in his yellow truck, with the classic Del Walker’s Landscaping logo. He took great pride in his work, owning and operating his business for 51 years. He also loved giving back to his community, donating his time and efforts to the Honeoye Booster’s Club and the Paul Smith’s Alumni Association. Del oversaw the construction of Honeoye Central School’s soccer fields complete with his trademark Leyland Cypress plantings.
For all his hard work, Del also relished his time off, reserving the last two weeks of July every summer for a visit with his family to his beloved Martha’s Vineyard. And any description of Del would not be complete without mentioning his love for the Boston Red Sox. His summer nights were often defined by how well the Sox played or, how bad the Yankees lost!
His legacy lives on both in Upstate NY and on the Vineyard through his many landscaping projects he completed for friends and family. This includes one particular White Pine tree, planted by his classmates from Paul Smith’s in honor of the infamous White Pine Camp of 1962. Today, Del’s White Pine is huge, the shape of Epcot Center, and stands out from the surrounding forest for its boldness and rugged charm–a personification of Del himself.
Friends may call on Sunday, August 13th, from 1-3pm at the Kevin W. Dougherty Funeral Home Inc., 8624 Main Street, Rte 20A, Honoeye, NY where Del’s Funeral Service will follow calling hours at 3pm. Memorial contributions may be made in Del’s memory to the Paul Smith’s College Alumni Association, 7833 New York 30, Paul Smiths, NY 12970. To send a condolence or share a memory please visit:
www.doughertyfuneralhomes.com
Sharon, Jack, Jonathan Fredericks and family send along our heartfelt sympathy and prayers to Margie, Katie, and Dan at this sad time. We all enjoyed Del back in the travel soccer days for our boys. Loved reading about his many unsung accomplishments and ties to Paul Smith’s. His legacy will live on through you all and so many whose lives he touched.
God bless you…the Fredericks families in Naples & Penfield
On behalf of the Hall and Grant families, please accept our condolences on the passing of your husband. Our prayers are with you and your family in this time of grief. If there is anything we can do to support you, please let us know. God Bless.
Liesl Hall-Grant
So very sorry to hear about Del. I just heard about it today as I have been in Rhode Island. All the wonderful stories and memories you have of him and shared with me over the years at Manpower Skills Center and REOC will hold dearly in your heart and will help you through the difficult times.
In sympathy,
Diana Wong
Dear Margie,
My thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time. I hope that your
cherished memories of Del and the support of your wonderful family will
ease your burden of grief and sadness in the days ahead.
In sympathy for your loss,
Sue Burns Steinbrenner
Our sympathy and warm hugs to you, Margie, and all your family.
Love, Barbie and Jeff
Margaret walker. Sorry for your loss. Ed. Barra
Margie, So sorry to read of the passing of your Del. I remember your stories from back when we were both at EOC – fun, happy, and frustrating. Remember the good times you shared. Fond and loving memories get us through the hard times.
With prayers and positive thoughts for you and your family! Carol Cuddihee
Margie, Please accept my condolences on your Husband’s passing. Although I never met him, I recall you mentioning Del during our working at the REOC where you were a wonderful supervisor. After Neal passed I discovered that with time, grief becomes rich memories.
Karen Walter-Passarell
So very sorry to learn of Del’s passing. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
My heart goes out to you and your family. I wish you peace to bring comfort, courage to face the days ahead and loving memories to forever hold in your hearts.
My deepest sympathy,
Cheryl Lattimore
So sorry to hear of Del’s passing. Our friendship started at West High School and we both attended Paul Smith’s College. I have wonderful memories of Del and the friendship we maintained over the years. We lived on opposite sides of the country but always kept in touch. I will miss his presents, but will always remember his humor, and his upbeat positive outlook on life. My condolences to his family. Thanks for being a part of my life Del. Rest in peace.
Bernie Murphy
So sorry for your loss of Dell. Though we only saw each other several times since our graduation, we did manage to keep in touch through phone calls, Christmas cards and letters every year. Dell was the glue of our class. He always kept me informed of class gatherings and other news of our classmates. Regretfully, I wish I had attended at least a few of them. As requested, a donation has been made to our Alumni association in his name. He will be missed by all of us who were lucky enough to have known him.
I am sorry to hear of Del’s passing. My condolences to Margie and the family. I had the pleasure of working for Del in the summers of 74-77 when I was in college. It was hard work sometimes, with long hours, but Del’s sense of humor always made it interesting. I still remember when Katie was born, how special that was to him, as well as the pride he took in his home in Honeoye. He enjoyed showing it off, when my wife Pam and I visited him when he first moved in. May God’s comfort be with you all in your loss.
We are so sorry to hear about Del. We loved him dearly and enjoyed talking with him. Our hearts hurt for all of you and he will be missed by many that were given the chance to know him.
Deats Family