Roy de Walker
April 30, 1945 – December 25, 2014
Obituary
Roy
de Walker was born in Louisville, Mississippi on April 30, 1945, to the union
of Curtis Walker and Christine L. Jackson Walker. Affectionately known as “Rollie” by friends
and family members, he was the fourth of ten siblings. From his days as a youth, Roy grabbed the
respect of those around him and set out to do his best. He took interest in reading and engaged in
activities that had definite purpose. In
school, he earned good grades and secured the leading roles in the annual
productions put on at Rocky Hill Elementary School. Most importantly, it was at Oak Grove Baptist
Church during Easter recitations and other programs for the youth that Roy
exhibited and developed his love for speaking and began to hone his oratorical
skills. It was here also, that Roy was
baptized and accepted Christ.
Like his siblings, Roy
toiled in the cotton fields and tilled the red Mississippi clay with as much
physical strength as was required of him.
However, mentally his vision took him far beyond the boundaries of the
segregated situations of the South and to a world of opportunity. His mother, Christine, saw his promise and
encouraged him to use his intelligence as a way to support himself in the
future. His jubilant educational journey
continued in the classrooms of Noxapater Vocational High School where he
excelled in his studies. The schools in
Winston County were consolidated in the early 60s and Roy graduated May 24,
1962 from Louisville Negro High School. However, his diploma has Noxapater
Vocational High School on it because he attended there for 3 ½ years and only
one semester at Louisville Negro High School.
With education as his
avenue away from the adversity awaiting him in a segregated world, Roy enrolled
in Tougaloo College. Financial aid
opportunities were bleak for African Americans in the sixties and Roy faced the
possibility of having to leave school.
However, he didn’t allow his dream of earning a college degree to be
deferred. In 1965, he joined the United States
Navy. In the Navy, he was trained in
Russian Nuclear Submarine Surveillance.
The Navy afforded him the opportunity to bring into fruition the visions
he had on the back roads of Mississippi.
He traveled to Norway, Denmark, Spain, UK, Portugal, Italy, Malta, and Puerto
Rico igniting his passion to explore the treasures the world has to offer. He ended his tour of duty in 1971 and
returned to Tougaloo College.
Roy was an active and
engaged student when he returned from the Navy.
He accepted a research fellowship in African history that allowed him to
have a euphoric experience at the University of Ghana in Accra, Ghana in 1971. When he returned back to Mississippi and
Tougaloo College, he worked as a research assistant with The Lawyers’ Committee
for Civil Rights Under Law in Jackson from 1971 to 1972. Roy graduated from
Tougaloo College in 1972 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.
After graduation, Roy
moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he taught 7th and 8th
grade at Henry C. Lea School in the Philadelphia School District. His tenure there was short however, and he
enrolled in law school at The University of San Francisco. He earned his Juris Doctorate in law in 1976.
Roy worked with a few
firms throughout his professional career. He worked for Perkins, Coie, Stone,
Olsen, and Williams; Howard, Prime, Rice, Nemerovski, Canady, and Pollak; and
Bronson, Bronson & McKinnon LLP; and Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman
& Dicker LLP. Eventually he opened
his own practice, de Walker Group. His
practice encompassed: intellectual property, intellectual agreements, general
litigation, civil appeals, and international law with a focus on Japan. Though he was a well-respected lawyer, there
was so much more to Roy Walker.
Roy took great pride in
entertaining, loved to travel, and served others with his heart. He often hosted
parties on his boat – Sultana – and at his home. He enjoyed cooking the variety of fresh
seafood offered in the bay area accompanied by a glass of fine wine. He traveled across the United States around
the world as far as Hong Kong, China and Tokyo, Japan. One of his favorite destinations for
relaxation was on the beaches of Barbados.
He was a servant to anyone who needed his assistance. You could always count on Roy to provide you
with sound advice (legal and life) or to be a listening ear. He was also available at times to assist
family members during times of monetary distress. When it came to his nieces and nephews, he
wanted the best for them. Though he lived thousands of miles away, he was a
present fixture in their lives. He sent
care packages and made special phone calls. He attended graduations and
weddings. He made special visits to the sick and helped bury those who departed
this life before him. He inquired about, and was genuinely interested in, their
life’s direction. If he found them
lacking motivation, he dared them to find their dream.
Roy de Walker gave all he
had to give in this life. On December 25,
2014, having sent his siblings a Christmas greeting via email, God decided it
was time for him to come home. He is
preceded in death by his paternal grandparents Robert and Roxie Prince Walker;
maternal grandparents Edd and Jeffie Knowles Jackson, parents Curtis and
Christine Walker; and brother Hosea Walker.
He leaves to mourn his death siblings: Tevell (Helen), Nettie (Lylton),
Curtis (Truevinia), Nannie (Willie), Wayne (Mildred deceased), Evelyn (David
deceased), Jerome (Dorothy), and Loretta; over thirty nieces, nephews, and
great nieces and nephews; the Oak Grove Community; and countless other
relatives and friends.
Written
by: Corey Stokes (Nephew)