Thomas Wayne Walker, 89, of Huntington, passed away Wednesday, November 15, 2023, in St. Mary’s Medical Center.
Born August 9, 1934, in Marlinton, he was a son of the late Archie Freeman and Kathleen Faulknier Walker, who lived in Hillsboro.
Tom was a 1952 graduate of Hillsboro High School and graduated from West Virginia University in 1956.
He was devoted to God, faith, family and country. He worked for Libby-Owens-Ford (“LOF”) Glass Company for 28 years and then became an Insurance Executive for CUNA Mutual Group, from which he retired. Tom was a U.S. Army Veteran and served as a cryptographer in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He was a charter member and one of the founders of Centennial Federal Credit Union (“FCU”) in 1963, which served the employees of LOF in Charleston. For his efforts, he earned the Credit Union Founders’ Club Award. He served as Treasurer/Manager of Centennial FCU until 1972. During that time, he became involved with the Kanawha Valley Chapter of Credit Unions, serving as President and Treasurer. In 1969, Tom helped organize West Virginia League Central Credit Union in Charleston and served on the credit union’s initial Supervisory Committee. In 1972, he began to work for CUNA Mutual Group, assisting credit unions in West Virginia with their insurance needs. He worked for CUNA Mutual Group until his retirement in 2000, earning the President’s Council Award for sales excellence several times during his career. At the time of his passing, Tom was Chairman of the Board of Universal FCU in Huntington and had been a board member for more than 20 years. Since 2001, he had been on the board of the West Virginia Credit Union League and was its Chairman. He often went to Washington, D.C. to advocate on behalf of West Virginia credit unions during CUNA’s annual Governmental Affairs Conference.
Tom earned the Chapter Leadership Award from the Huntington Chapter of Credit Unions and was the recipient of the William Bryan Hawkins Award by the West Virginia Credit Union League for outstanding volunteer work on behalf of credit unions statewide.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister, Janice Walker Hall.
He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Patricia Kaye Harshbarger Walker; his children, Thomas W. Walker, Jr., of Marlinton, Kathryn Walker Partlow (Paul), of Richmond, Virginia, David Nicolls (Lisa), of Milton, and Kristi Arrowood (Mark), of Huntington; brother, John F. Walker (Crystal), of Ohio; brother-in-law, Jerry Hall (Ann), of Belmont, North Carolina; grandchildren, Erika E. Walker, Lee Thomas Walker (Rebecca), Sarah Drennan (Mark), Katherine Wallace (William), Zac Arrowood (Angela), Mark Nicolls (April), and Tanner Arrowood (Tracey); great- grandchildren, Gwe-nyth Lee Duderstadt, Camron Wallace, Liam Wallace, Alec Drennan, Connor Drennan, Lowen Arrowood, Caroline Arrowood, Braxton Nicolls, Mason Nicolls, Peyton Arrowood, Harper Arrowood, Emory Arrowood, and Maisie Arrowood; nephews, David Hall (Jamie), and their son, Walker Hall, all of Fort Mills, South Carolina, and Christian Walker, of Barboursville; and a niece, Lauren Miller (Zach), of Circleville, Ohio.
A funeral service was conducted Sunday, November 19, 2023, at Chapman’s Mortuary in Huntington, with his grandsons officiating and Military Rites by Veterans Honor Guard Post 16.
Pallbearers were John Walker, Paul Partlow, David Hall, Lee Thomas Walker, Zac Arrowood, Tanner Arrowood, Mark Nicolls, Tim Stover, and Christian Walker;
Honorary pallbearers were Camron Wallace, Alec Drennan, Liam Wallace, Lowen Arrowood, Braxton Nicolls, Connor Drennan, and Mason Nicolls.
Graveside service was held Monday, November 20, 2023, at Mountain View Cemetery in Marlinton.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to First Baptist Church Millington, 5010 West Union Road, Millington, TN 38053, fbcmillingtontpsdb.com (Missions), or T2T.org (Tunnel to Towers for Veterans), or to a charity of one’s choice.
Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.chapmans-mortuary. com
