William "Billy Joe" Walker

August 8, 1949 - February 5, 2021

William "Billy Joe" Walker Sr. was born in Florence, AZ on August 5, 1949 to Marilyn and Joe Walker. Although he was and raised in Superior, AZ, he spent many days working and playing on his uncle's ranch at the foot of the Superstition Mountains. This is where Billy Joe learned to ride bulls and developed a lifelong love of horses. His courtship of his high school girlfriend gave him a son, Paul Herguth (Cynthia) and grandchildren Sabrina, Daniel and Gabriel. It often grieved Bill that he was not allowed to be involved with raising Paul, but he was comforted to see him grow into a fine man. When Bill turned 18, he joined the U.S. Army and trained as a medic at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. There he met Arlinda Strauch. In less than 4 months, he convinced her to marry him. They wedded in October of 1968 and were blessed with three children: William "Joe" Jr. in 1970 (Dawn Walker), Sherry in 1971 (Eric VonDohlen), and Martin in 1974 (Jill Walker). Bill cherished his children and was proud of their talents, successes, and characters. He delighted in his grandchildren: Antoinette (Dakota Cornelius), Holly , Will, Hannah, Drew, Reagan, and great grandchild DJ Cornelius. While growing up, Billy enjoyed many sports, but he excelled at baseball. He was elected to play on the 1964 Superior Senior League which won the Western Division Championship. He later enjoyed teaching his sons and other boys not only the skills he learned in his youth but also life lessons. He often said that there was more to baseball than learning to run bases. It was not unusual for "Mr. Walker" to be recognized and stopped by men on the street as they greeted him with gratitude for the discipline, rules, and principles they had learned while playing on one of his teams. He was always glad to speak with them and catch up on their lives. In 1974 Bill joined the Tucson Fire Department and loved not only the excitement of the job but the opportunities it provided to help those who needed medical attention. After an on the job accident resulted in two back surgeries, Bill found it necessary to retire from TFD and retrain as an emergency room RN. Once again, he was helping the sick or injured. It was in Bill's nature to go to the aid of those in any type of need whether it be a Circle K checker being harassed or a child needing a place to stay until a parent got home. On January 29, 2021, Bill's automobile was struck from behind causing severe injuries to his spinal chord. Knowing he was now paralyzed and would suffer breathing problems the rest of his life, he asked his wife to make certain he not be kept alive by the use of tubes and machines. It was the hardest promise she ever had to keep. He will be missed, but he is free of pain. The world is a better place, because he was here. We celebrate his life. Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, February 27, 2021 at 10 am at 130 Sharon Road, Vail, Arizona 85641.