Wayne Dee Walker

Wayne Dee Walker, age 93, passed away peacefully on April 8, 2023. He was born on April 17, 1929 to Fay Duane and Myrtle Leona Bishop Walker in Salt Lake City, Utah. He married Joy Elaine Cullis, his high school sweetheart, on July 19, 1949, in the Logan Temple. They were married for 73 years.  His early years were spent on a farm in Sutherland where his father raised rabbits, some lambs, and mean roosters which he said used to chase him. They also grew hay and grain and had a large garden. His parents started him singing when he was a boy and at age 6 his grandfather Bishop gave him his first harmonica which he learned to play by himself. He became an amazing harmonica player and played wherever he and Joy traveled. He has played in Venezuela (Andes), Belgium, France (Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame), Greece (Parthenon, Oracle at Delphi), China (Great Wall) and almost all of the states in the US. Wayne said that at one time he had 1000 harmonicas. The smallest one was only 1 and ½ inches. He got a Red Ryder BB gun in grade school and became a very good hunter. He was also a fisherman and loved teaching his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren to fish.

Wayne served in the National Guard and was activated into the army during the Korean War. Corporal Walker served as a radio repairman from October 1950 through March 1951. He was the only one in his battalion to earn the two-shot military expert rating. When he returned home, he used the GI bill to go to college and graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1961 with a major in Physical Geography and a minor in Geology. He later earned his Master Gardener certificate.

Wayne served many years in the scouting program as a scoutmaster and cub scout leader and enjoyed all types of scouting activities. He served in the Provo temple. He and Joy were called to serve a mission in Nauvoo where he worked on grounds beautification and he and Joy conducted tours of the Browning Home and Gunsmith Shop. They next went to Nanjing China where they lived for one year and taught English to college English majors through a BYU program in China. He said, “All of the good things, the experiences and travel have come about because of active participation in the church.”

Wayne had many hobbies but is best known for his unique ability to put wooden arrows into different objects. He called this The Gospel of the Straight Arrow and took great delight in asking people to guess how he did it. He never did tell anyone his entire secret.

He is survived by his wife Joy, his children:  Kathy (Michael) Hickenbotham of American Fork, Marcie Janzen of Tooele, daughter-in-law Vickie Walker of Salem, Bryce (Leslie) of Bountiful, and Traci (Steve) Hamilton of Saratoga Springs, 19 grandchildren, 52 great grandchildren, 5 great great grandchildren, 2 brothers Gaylen and Lyle and 2 sisters Toni and Bonnie.  He was preceded in death by his parents, his son Mark and 2 sisters Jeneal and Berniece.

A viewing will be held on Wednesday April 12, 2023 from 6:00-7:30 pm at Anderson and Sons Mortuary Lone Peak, 6141 West 11000 North Highland, UT. Services will be held on Thursday April 13, at 11 am in the Alpine 4th Ward chapel, 910 South High Bench Road Alpine, UT. Interment will be at the Alpine City Cemetery, 400 Grove Dr.