Lawrence David Walker, devoted husband to his dear wife Elaine, four children, nine grandchildren, and his Newfoundland Lulu, left us too soon at the young age of 74. Larry had a distinguished law career spanning five decades, with a quiet modesty that belied his accomplishments. He kept his numerous accomplishments to himself, and would prefer to be remembered for how steadfastly he looked after all of his loved ones - something he demonstrated in his last weeks as he simply refused to give up so that he could get back to them. While we are saddened by this sudden loss, there is much to look back on in his 74 years on this Earth.
Born in Syracuse on July 10, 1948, to the late Laurence Walker and Elizabeth Fitzpatrick, Larry showed a talent for writing and speaking from a young age. In typical modest Larry fashion, we knew nothing of his scholastic accomplishments until we dusted off his mother's albums that contained awards and even news clippings of his work as a 16-year-old in Rockford Illinois, where he grew up. Larry then went on to Fordham University for his undergraduate degree and then to Northwestern University for law school. Then, it was on to Taft Law, where he worked as a distinguished partner until retiring in 2019.
Larry and Elaine started a family in Cincinnati, and he came home every night by 5 p.m. to be with them, no matter how hard the cases he was working were. Larry and Elaine provided an idyllic childhood environment: jokes and storytelling were frequent, and Christmases at the Walker household would put Clark Griswold to shame. Larry was a notable presence during his childrens' high school years at Bishop Watterson, where he was an active marching band booster. When the Blue Ford Excursion with the Watterson flags ablazing rolled into the parking lot, you knew it was Larry. This devotion continued on into grandfatherhood. He was very active in his grandchildrens' lives, even serving as a band booster supporter for his oldest grandson's participation in the Worthington Kilbourne High School marching band.
His other great love was the Atlantic Ocean. Many summers were spent in Myrtle Beach camping, and as we all grew older, he chose Emerald Isle as his new Atlantic Ocean getaway. In his last days, among his wishes was to continue this beach house tradition, as it was and always will be seen as the happiest of times together as one large family.
On his final day on this Earth, the family he raised and loved so much gathered around him to tell him it was his time to go, and to let go. Now that he has, we all realize that perhaps we never will.
We love you, Dad.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Lawrence D. Walker, please visit our floral store.