James Lanier “Rocky” Walker ’66

James Lanier “Rocky” Walker ’66 was born Aug. 20, 1944, in Bradenton, Fla., to Clifford Walker and Dorothy Hefner Walker. He died on March 18, 2012, after a four-year battle with cancer. He is survived by his loving wife, Jacki Etheridge Walker, 48 Condesa Rd., Santa Fe, NM 87508-2154; son, Christopher Walker and his children, Jesse Walker, Christina Walker, and Caitlin Walker; daughter, Angela Walker Murphy (Noel) and their daughter, Arah Murphy; daughter, Claire Walker; brother, Ralph C. Walker (Kathy) and their children, Laura Walker Pellissier (Dan), Mark Walker (Sara), and Tyler Walker (Maria); mother-in-law, Mrs. Francis Etheridge; and sister-in-law, Patti Etheridge Lloyd (James) and their children, Katherine Lloyd Hall (Jackson Tavo Hall) and Elizabeth Lloyd. Walker was preceded in death by his parents and his father-in-law, John Morgan Etheridge. Walker was raised in Sarasota, Fla., and was a lifelong Eagle Scout. He received his bachelor’s degree from Davidson and earned his law degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law in Nashville, Tenn., where he distinguished himself by serving as associate articles editor for the Vanderbilt Law Review and his induction into the prestigious Order of the Coif. Walker served his country as a captain in the U.S. Army, and he was a veteran of the Vietnam War. Walker practiced law for 37 years as a commercial and personal injury litigation defense lawyer. For the past 19 years, Walker was a partner with the law firm of Jackson Walker in San Antonio, where he was head of the litigation section for all of the Jackson Walker offices. He was licensed to practice law in Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico, as well as numerous federal district and federal appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. Last fall, Walker was honored with the Association of Corporate Counsel South/Central Texas Chapter’s “Ethical Life Award,” indicative of the high esteem and respect he earned from his colleagues. Walker was a member of the Texas Association of Defense Counsel and the National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel, of which he was past president. He was a frequent seminar program chairman and speaker on the ethical practice of law. In addition, Walker served as chairman of the State Bar of Texas District Four Grievance Committee and was a member of the Texas Lawyers Assistance Committee of the State Bar of Texas. He was board chairman of the Palmer Drug Abuse Program in San Antonio, and he served on the board of trustees for the South Central Texas Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Walker recently became a senior partner with the law firm, and he and Jacki moved to Santa Fe, N.Mex., in December 2011, to begin a new chapter in their lives together. While he was proud of his many accomplishments in the legal profession, Walker was most proud of his wife, Jacki, his children, grandchildren, and his many friends. He was a devoted Christian, a child of God, and a committed member of Christ Episcopal Church. Walker loved to be outdoors, whether hiking the Grand Canyon (after several rounds of chemotherapy and radiation) or gardening, and he loved baseball. He had a passion for the peace and tranquility of fly-fishing in the clear waters of beautiful rivers, which was a reflection of the way he lived his life-calmly, methodically, serenely-appreciating the beauty and serenity of God’s creation around him, which gave him the ultimate grace for which he was known by all. Walker is now healed, free of cancer, and he dwells in the presence of God in His Eternal Kingdom. Bishop Brent wrote, “Life is eternal; and love is immortal; and Death is only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.” Walker is now on the other side of the horizon just beyond our human sight, and he joyfully worships God in the Father’s presence alongside those who have gone before him.