Biography:

Dr. Thomas Lawrence Boyd Walker was born in Toronto on the 3rd of May, 1923 to Thomas Walker and the former Emily McGregor. He had a brother Bill and a sister named Jean.

Dr. Walker attended Malvern Collegiate Institute in Toronto, before joining the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1941.  He served as a Flying Instructor/Flight Lieutenant with the RCAF 418 Squadron.  Dr. Walker was stationed overseas from 1941 until 1946.  He served with the 400 Reserve Squadron from 1946-1949.

Upon his return to Canada, Dr. Walker enrolled in The University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine. He graduated with his medical degree in 1952 and spent the following year doing an internship at Toronto General Hospital. Dr. Walker then interned for a second year at Wellesley Hospital, the General Hospital and Sick Children’s Hospital (all in Toronto).

Dr. Walker married Ruth Margaret Mitchell on the 17th of June, 1950.  Mrs. Walker was born on the 19th of December, 1921, the daughter of William and Annie Mitchell.  Her siblings were; Christine, Graham and William.  Mrs. Walker graduated from the Toronto General Hospital School of Nursing in the fall of 1949.

Dr. and Mrs. Walker had 4 children; Tom, Rob, Christine and Bill.

In 1954, Dr. Walker began his first medical practice in Smooth Rock Falls, Ontario. In addition to his full general practice, Dr. Walker also assisted a local surgeon with anesthesia. Dr. Walker and his family moved to Chatham in 1956, where he took over the Grand Avenue medical practice of Dr. Samson.

Dr. Walker was the Secretary of the Kent County Medical Society from 1956 to 1961 and he was the President in 1968.   He served as the Chief of Staff at St. Joseph’s Hospital from 1965 to 1971.  Dr. Walker was a Director with the Chatham YMCA from 1957 to 1969.  In 1974, Dr. Walker and his family resided at 65 Buckingham Avenue.  Dr. Walker became the youngest recipient of the Glenn Sawyer Award in 1979.  This award is bestowed to a physician who has greatly contributed to their local community, and the medical profession.

Dr. Walker retired in 1993. After his retirement, he continued to see his patients at the Meadow Park and Copper Terrace nursing homes. He also assisted in surgery at the Public General Hospital, and St. Joseph’s Hospital until April of 2006.

Dr. Walker was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and his hobbies were golf, gardening and fishing. He and his family enjoyed spending time at their cottage on Georgian Bay.

Dr. Walker passed away on the 19th of July 2006.  Mrs. Ruth Walker died at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance on the 18th of March, 2016.  Dr. and Mrs. Walker were interred at Maple Leaf Cemetery in Chatham.