Harry Taylor Walker: Obituary

The Cochran Funeral Home & Crematory of Blairsville announces services for Harry Taylor Walker, age 85, who passed away peacefully at his home in Blairsville, Georgia with his family at his side after a long battle with prostate cancer on January 10, 2015.Harry was born on Easter Sunday, March 31, 1929, in Memphis, Tennessee, son of the late John R Walker, Jr and Maude Hunt Walker. He is preceded in death by brother John R Walker, III, and sister Madelone Evans.

Harry attended Webb School in Bell Buckle, Tennessee and graduated from Memphis State. He moved to Milwaukee in 1952 where he met Shirley. In 1954 they married and moved to Memphis, Tennessee, which is where he started his career in the insurance industry. He received his CPCU in 1969 and CIC in 1981. He was recognized in 1973 by the Insurance Institute of America as an Associate in Management.

With every promotion he transferred to a new city. During this time he lived in Birmingham, Jacksonville, Nashville and Atlanta. In 1992 he formed his own insurance auditing business that enabled him to travel throughout the entire country until his ultimate retirement in 1997. In 1999 he and Shirley moved to Beautiful Blairsville.

He spent the majority of his retirement on the Butternut Creek Golf Course, where he enjoyed playing golf every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and made long-lasting friends. He was proud of shooting his age, or better, five times. During football season you would find him in front of the television, watching 14 hours of football and cheering on his beloved Alabama Crimson Tide. Being from Memphis, he was an avid Elvis fan. Harry and Shirley enjoyed travelling to Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Russia, South America and throughout the United States.

Harry was a true Southern Gentleman and was known far and wide for his sense of humor and quick wit. He always enjoyed a joke and a good laugh up until his last days.

Surviving Mr. Walker is his loving wife and best friend of 60+ years, Shirley; daughter Ellen Camacho and son-in-law Paul of South Lake Tahoe, California; Joan Mannheim and son-in-law Aaron from Blairsville; H. Taylor Walker, Jr of Atlanta; granddaughter Katie Camacho of Sacramento, California; grandson Christopher Camacho of San Jose, California; sister Elizabeth Hughes of San Antonio, Texas; sister-in-law Carolyn Walker of Memphis, Tennessee; several nieces and nephews; and many friends.

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, January 17, 2015, at 2:00 p.m. at the Union County Community Center Banquet Room, 129 Union County Recreation Road, Blairsville, Georgia 30512. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to your charity of choice in memory of Harry Walker.

Arrangements entrusted to the care of Cochran Funeral Home & Crematory of Blairsville.