Robert Walker

Robert Walker, 77, of Huntsville died Sunday, July 12, 2009 at a local hospital.

A memorial service will be held at Zion Hill Baptist Church in Wesson, Saturday, Aug. 1, at 1 p.m.

R.W. was born in Martinsville,  Jan. 20, 1932. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1951-1955. Part of his service included work aboard a hospital ship during the Korean War. After R.W.’s honorable discharge from the Navy in 1955, he began classes at Mississippi State University. He graduated four years later with a B.S. degree in aerospace engineering. After graduation R.W. began a long career at NASA, working on a variety of projects including the early shuttle program. He retired from NASA in 1992 as a chief engineer working on payload operations for the orbiter. R.W. was the son of John Vivian Walker and Sally Farrar Walker.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Survivors include: his wife, Michele Walker; sister and brother-in-law, Johnnie and Edward Lehman of Brockport, N.Y.; daughter and son-in-law, Wanda and Mark Moore of Memphis; son and daughter-in-law, David and Melissa Walker of Hoschton, Ga.; son, Mike Walker of Atoka, Tenn.; daughter and son-in-law, Lisa and Sherman Wilcox of Huntsville; and grandchildren, John Setzer of Cleveland, Tiffany Smith of Memphis, Trent and Chad Walker of Hoschton, Tyler Walker of Memphis, Alexis Walker of Vancouver, Wash., and Jacob, Daniel and Sam Wilcox of Huntsville. He is also survived by five great-grandchildren.