- Date Of Birth: October 9, 1929
- Date Of Death: January 15, 2021
- State: Pennsylvania
Walker1929~2021James Michael (Dixie) Walker MD born October 9, 1929 passed peacefully at the age of 91 on January 15, 2021. He is the only child of James and Catherine (nee Gallagher) Walker and grew up in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. He attended Saint Vincent Depaul Parish and went to school there for grades 1-8 followed by 9th and 10th grades at LaSalle High School and 11th grade at Germantown High School. At the age of 17, he enlisted as a private in the US Army and served for 17 months in Korea being honorably discharged in March of 1948. He completed his senior year at North High School in Worcester, Massachusetts and then attended St. Michael’s College in Vermont for 2 years where he was a standout baseball and basketball star. He transferred to LaSalle University for his remaining 2 years graduating cum laude. He attended Jefferson Medical College from 1954-1958 and after that did an internship at St. Joseph’s hospital for one year. He was a very hard worker and had multiple jobs within his profession. He worked as a family practitioner being on staff at St. Joseph’s hospital as well as having his solo practice in Overbrook. He also served as police surgeon at the Roundhouse and was the Phillies’ team physician from 1964-1972. In his last 9 years he worked for Sunoil in corporate medicine.Urban legend states that he was one of the first Pennsylvania Lottery winners and with the $50,000 winnings, he chartered a jet with a group of his cronies to the Kentucky Derby where he parlayed his winnings even further betting on Riva Ridge in 1972. While not a real family man, he was well known as a generous person who did not charge indigent patients and gave back generously to his community. He was a big tipper who enjoyed fine dining, wine, scotch, and martinis which he called his retirement he was an avid world traveler, history buff reading extensively on multiple subjects, and music lover – especially classical music, swing music, and opera. He loved crossword puzzles, Jeopardy, sports, and spreading his extensive vocabulary around. He constantly was either reading or watching DVDs to further his knowledge until the is survived by 2 children from a first marriage: James Walker Jr. of Canton, Michigan and his wife Jolene and their 2 children Laura and James III and Dr. Lise Walker of Phoenix, Arizona and her 2 children Jessica and Christopher. There are 5 Great grandchildren on that side: Rosemary, Lillian, Leo, James IV, Logan, and Emma. He is survived by 2 children from a second marriage: Dr. Michael (Mickey) Walker and his wife Kelly and their children Faith and Eamon and Monica DiPiero RN and her husband Joseph and their children Samantha, Alyssa, and Philip. He is survived by two half-sisters of his father’s subsequent marriage – June Sanders of Carmel, Indiana and Jill Young of Fishers, Indiana.
