Ronald Earl Walker

Ronald Earl “Ron” Walker was born on November 17, 1942 at Methodist Hospital in Memphis, and he passed on from this world on September 12, 2023. A celebration of his life is being planned. Ron’s parents, Earl and Doris, and his three older siblings were living in Wynne, Arkansas where Earl was serving as pastor of the First Methodist Church. But small-town Wynne didn’t have a hospital, so his parents drove the 48 miles to Memphis. When he was two years old they moved to Oklahoma, living in towns where Earl served churches in McAlester, Durant, Chickasha, Muskogee and Bartlesville, then settling in Oklahoma City where Ron graduated from Harding High School in 1960. Ron attended Oklahoma City University and Oklahoma State University. His first professional job was at Citizens Bank in OKC, leading to the start of his credit union career at Humpty/Allied Foods Credit Union. He moved to Tulsa, where he established MAPCO Federal Credit Union in 1980 and served as President until its merger in 1998. Ron served on the Board of Directors of the Oklahoma Credit Union League and held a gubernatorial appointed State Credit Union Board seat for 12 years. Ron loved music. Singing and playing guitar and banjo with friends and family was one of the great joys of his life. In 1968 he met musician Jim Ledford at the OKC Volkstube Club. They became fast friends, and over the years Ledford would invite Ron up on stage with him and Gary Crisco at the “Old Dodge City” in Edmond to perform their favorites: Son of the Pioneers’ Tumbling Tumbleweeds, Buddy Holly’s Peggy Sue, Kingston Trio’s Tom Dooley and MTA, and Arlo Guthrie’s City of New Orleans. Walker family’s rowdy holiday sing-a-longs were accompanied by Ron with his sisters Jane on piano and Jo on autoharp. As the kids grew up, his nephews Andy and Daniel joined him on guitar, playing the next generation’s favorite tunes by John Denver, the Beatles, the Eagles and many more. Ron’s last birthday gift to his son Dustin was a left-handed guitar, to encourage him to keep making music. Ron also loved playing golf, photography, reading, riding his recumbent bicycle, and driving sports cars. Ron is remembered by his family as a kind and loving father, grandfather and uncle, who would always pick up the phone when you called. We’ll miss his sharp wit, love of puns and Dad jokes. Ron is preceded in death by his parents, Earl Simeon and Dorothy “Doris” Alice Walker, his brother William “Bill” Walker, sister Jane Craig, and daughter Sheri Ann Walker. He is survived by his beloved wife Beth of 39 years, his sister Jo (Walker) Wheeler, sons Ronald Christopher Howard and Dustin Walker; stepson Kyle Kuenning and his wife Ashley; grandchildren Brendon Feliciano, Nolan Wright, Chloe and Beckham Newman, Embry and Kai Kuenning. Ron was also close to his nieces and nephews and their spouses: Wm. Andrew “Andy” Walker and wife Lisa, Kellye Walker, Rex Kline, Roger Kline (deceased), Daniel Kline, Amy Wheeler and wife Kate, Marlo Nash and husband David, Paul Wheeler and wife Amy, and a host of family and friends.

Ronald Earl Walker

November 17, 1942 - September 12, 2023