Thomas Bidwell Walker Jr.

1923 - 2016

Thomas Bidwell Walker Jr. obituary, 1923-2016, Dallas, TX

BORN

1923

DIED

2016

FUNERAL HOME

Thomas Walker Obituary

Published by Legacy Remembers on Oct. 11, 2016.

Thomas B. Walker, Jr. passed away on Tuesday, October 11, 2016 at his home in Dallas, Texas. He will always be remembered as a loving husband, brother, father, grandfather and friend to all who knew and loved him.
Tom was born in Nashville, TN on December 24, 1923 to Virginia G. and Thomas B. Walker. After graduating from West End High School in Nashville, Tom attended Vanderbilt University through his sophomore year. He then volunteered for service in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Tom embarked on an accelerated program of officer training and then was assigned to serve on the destroyer escort U.S.S. Ahrens. He saw action in both the North Atlantic and Pacific theaters during 1944 and 1945. After the war, Tom returned to Vanderbilt from which he graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in 1947.
Tom then began his career in the financial services industry. Tom's first job was as a trainee at Equitable Securities Corporation in Nashville. In 1950, he moved to Equitable's Dallas office. During his initial years in Dallas, Tom was a champion of the growth prospects of companies in Texas and the Southwest. Later in his career, Tom shifted his focus toward being an investment banker serving as a trusted advisor to many corporations in Texas.
In 1968, Tom left Equitable Securities and joined Goldman, Sachs & Co. Tom was admitted into the firm's partnership on day one, and Tom's team became Goldman Sachs's first office in Texas. In 1974, Tom was asked to join the eight-man Management Committee of Goldman Sachs, the committee which ran the firm. Tom's wisdom and advice was so valuable that he was asked to serve on the Boards of Directors of many companies, including A.H. Belo, American Medical International, Central and Southwest, Intermedics, NCH, Riviana Foods, Sedco and Sysco.
Tom's greatest joy was his relationship with his wife of 59 years, Anne Marie Newton. Anne Marie and Tom met in early 1950, Tom proposed to her on Valentine's Day, and they were married on May 27, 1950 in Memphis. Tom and Anne Marie were loving partners for 59 years. Together they raised two sons, traveled the world, enjoyed a ranch in Ennis, Texas and played tennis and played tennis and played tennis. Their lifetime partnership ended with Anne Marie's death on January 15, 2010.
Tom and Anne Marie were generous supporters of many institutions in Dallas and beyond. In Dallas, the Walkers supported the Dallas Museum of Art, St. Mark's School of Texas, and UT Southwestern Medical Center. In Memphis, the Walkers supported the Hutchison School. But no institution meant more to Tom than Vanderbilt University. Here he served on the Board of Trustees for years and he endowed a Chair in Finance and funded a library at the Owen Graduate School of Management. Tom truly believed that without Vanderbilt, he would have never been the man he became.
Tom is survived by his two sons, Thomas B. Walker III of New York City and John N. Walker (Newt) of Dallas and his brother Robert B. Walker of Athens, GA. In addition, Tom was blessed to enjoy the happiness of having six grandchildren-John, Emily, Anne-Marie, Katie, Tom, and Bobby.
Those who knew Tom will miss his humor, his loyalty, his graciousness, his kindness and his wisdom. He was a natural leader. People wanted to be on his team. He was an eternal optimist and a believer in the good in all people. Tom was a true gentleman. He will be sorely missed.
A Memorial Service will be held at 3:00pm on Friday, October 21, 2016 in at the Highland Park Presbyterian Church, Dallas, Texas. A reception will follow immediately thereafter at the home of Newt Walker. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be made to UT Southwestern Medical Center.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

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Not sure what to say?

4 Entries

October 13, 2017

Rachel McKnight

Hearing about your loss has deeply saddened me. I hope the promise at Psalm 9:9, 10 comforts
your heart.

October 21, 2016

Neva

May God bless this family with His peace during this time of loss. Tom was a courageous gentleman.

October 21, 2016

Elnora Denmark

October 18, 2016

Larry & Mary Ackels

A MIGHTY OAK HAS FALLEN! Dear Newt, please accept our deepest sympathy on the passing of a great man. He was a titan of industry, an icon in the financial world, a champion for Vanderbilt University, a loving husband and father. Your parents were a dynamic team -- both on and off the tennis court! Theirs was a vibrant marriage and they were role models for us all. May our heavenly Father ease your grief and leave only the cherished memories of his loving ways. And may the angels lead him into paradise. Your friends, Larry & Mary Ackels.

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Memorial Events
for Thomas Walker

Oct

21

Memorial service

3:00 p.m.

Highland Park Presbyterian Church

Dallas, TX

Funeral services provided by:

Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home & Hillcrest Mausoleum & Memorial Park

7405 West Northwest Highway, Dallas, TX 75225

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