Obituary
Walker, George Herbert III
1931-2020
Bert Walker loved his family. He loved St. Louis and the Cardinals, and he loved Kennebunkport, Maine. He was a man who aspired to and accomplished much, both in business and as a public servant. Bert led Stifel Nicolaus as president and CEO, served as U.S. Ambassador to Hungary, and was a steadfast champion for the city of St. Louis. But what he valued most was kindness.
George Herbert Walker III was born in St. Louis in 1931, raised in the East, and educated at Groton, where he loved hearing hymns played on chapel bells. "Abide with Me" was a favorite. His family spent summers in Kennebunkport, Maine, on Walker's Point: he and his brother Ray and sister Betty, along with so many Walker and Bush cousins, played along the rocky coastline, took bracing dips in the sea, and spent time with aunts, uncles, and grandparents.
Bert's family history in St. Louis began in 1857 when his great-grandfather, D.D. Walker, stepped into the city at 17 with ten dollars in his pocket and, over the next several decades, built the Ely & Walker dry goods empire. Around the turn of the century, the Walker patriarch bought a pastoral spit of land on the southern Maine coast that would come to be known as Walker's Point. In 1900, Bert's grandfather founded G.H. Walker & Company in downtown St. Louis.
After Yale and Harvard Law School, Bert returned to the Gateway City in 1958. St. Louis felt like home-both his mother, Mary Carter, and his father, George Herbert Walker Jr., were raised in the Central West End-and he never looked back. His civic efforts were always aimed at making St. Louis a more vital and vibrant city. Early on, Bert worked for the brokerage and investment company started by his grandfather. He continued annual summer trips to Walker's Point, where he and his beloved children-Mary Elizabeth, Wendy, Isabelle, George IV, and Carter-connected with extended family.
In 1962, Bert's father "Herbie" Walker was a founding member of the New York Mets. Bert did his best to be respectful of the Mets, especially around his father, but his loyalties lay with the Redbirds. A signed baseball card from Johnny Mizer, given to him at age ten, was a lifelong cherished possession. But as belongings go, what mattered most to Bert was the large portrait of his grandmother, Loulie Wear Walker, that hung over his fireplace.
After G.H. Walker & Company was acquired by White Weld and then Merrill Lynch, Bert joined Stifel Nicolaus in 1977. In 1982, he was named president and CEO. He ran for U.S. Congress in 1992. Though he lost, Bert remained engaged in Republican politics and was proud to see his Bush relatives elected President.
In the mid-1980s, Bert met and married the great love of his life, Carol Banta Walker. She and her three children-John, Hilary and Paige-were welcomed into Bert's sphere, and friends noticed how well Carol's attributes balanced his. Their union was marked by adventure and endless laughter. With her own family roots in Kennebunkport, it was natural for them to split their time between Maine and the Midwest.
The new millennium invigorated Bert. In 2001, he successfully spearheaded an amendment to the Missouri constitution to allow St. Louis citizens, rather than statewide voters, to make decisions for their city. And in 2002, Bert was asked by President George W. Bush to serve as Ambassador to Hungary. Bert and Carol spent the next three years there, representing America, growing to know and love Hungary and the Hungarian people.
For Bert, retirement meant more time for philanthropy and championing civic causes. His work with Better Together forwarded the narrative of how the city could be made stronger in unity. The capstone of his philanthropy-which included major gifts to Webster University and Washington University-emerged when he and Carol, herself a graduate of Eden Seminary, formed the Walker Leadership Institute. It teaches Eden Seminary students business skills at Webster University's George H. Walker School of Business, and likewise, ethical training at Eden for Webster business students.
Bert cherished small, everyday pleasures well into his 88th year, including his daily one-mile walk to Kingside Diner in St. Louis, his morning bike ride to H.B. Provisions in Kennebunkport, and the constant kindness of those behind the counter. He worked out religiously, including a three-minute "plank" each morning. He told his grandchildren he did this to stay alive long enough to see who they might marry. The first of his 15 grandchildren was married last summer. He timed his plank like this: Singing "Abide with Me," one minute; saying the Lord's Prayer, one minute; praying for loved ones, one minute.
Bert's colleagues, friends, and family will remember him for his accomplishments in business, his service as an ambassador, his philanthropy, and his love for and pride in his family, children and grandchildren. They will remember his warmth and energy, his humility, his optimism, and the ways he made the world a better place. But most of all, they loved and will remember him for his kindness.
Services: A Memorial Service will be held at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Ladue, 110 N. Warson Rd. at Ladue Rd., on Saturday, February 22, at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Walker Leadership Institute at Eden Seminary, 475 E. Lockwood, St. Louis, 63119 or to Evelyn's House, 1000 N. Mason Rd., St. Louis, 63141.
Published by Post - Dispatch on Jan. 26, 2020.
Walker, George Herbert III
1931-2020
Bert Walker loved his family. He loved St. Louis and the Cardinals, and he loved Kennebunkport, Maine. He was a man who aspired to and accomplished much, both in business and as a public servant. Bert led Stifel Nicolaus as president and CEO, served as U.S. Ambassador to Hungary, and was a steadfast champion for the city of St. Louis. But what he valued most was kindness.
George Herbert Walker III was born in St. Louis in 1931, raised in the East, and educated at Groton, where he loved hearing hymns played on chapel bells. "Abide with Me" was a favorite. His family spent summers in Kennebunkport, Maine, on Walker's Point: he and his brother Ray and sister Betty, along with so many Walker and Bush cousins, played along the rocky coastline, took bracing dips in the sea, and spent time with aunts, uncles, and grandparents.
Bert's family history in St. Louis began in 1857 when his great-grandfather, D.D. Walker, stepped into the city at 17 with ten dollars in his pocket and, over the next several decades, built the Ely & Walker dry goods empire. Around the turn of the century, the Walker patriarch bought a pastoral spit of land on the southern Maine coast that would come to be known as Walker's Point. In 1900, Bert's grandfather founded G.H. Walker & Company in downtown St. Louis.
After Yale and Harvard Law School, Bert returned to the Gateway City in 1958. St. Louis felt like home-both his mother, Mary Carter, and his father, George Herbert Walker Jr., were raised in the Central West End-and he never looked back. His civic efforts were always aimed at making St. Louis a more vital and vibrant city. Early on, Bert worked for the brokerage and investment company started by his grandfather. He continued annual summer trips to Walker's Point, where he and his beloved children-Mary Elizabeth, Wendy, Isabelle, George IV, and Carter-connected with extended family.
In 1962, Bert's father "Herbie" Walker was a founding member of the New York Mets. Bert did his best to be respectful of the Mets, especially around his father, but his loyalties lay with the Redbirds. A signed baseball card from Johnny Mizer, given to him at age ten, was a lifelong cherished possession. But as belongings go, what mattered most to Bert was the large portrait of his grandmother, Loulie Wear Walker, that hung over his fireplace.
After G.H. Walker & Company was acquired by White Weld and then Merrill Lynch, Bert joined Stifel Nicolaus in 1977. In 1982, he was named president and CEO. He ran for U.S. Congress in 1992. Though he lost, Bert remained engaged in Republican politics and was proud to see his Bush relatives elected President.
In the mid-1980s, Bert met and married the great love of his life, Carol Banta Walker. She and her three children-John, Hilary and Paige-were welcomed into Bert's sphere, and friends noticed how well Carol's attributes balanced his. Their union was marked by adventure and endless laughter. With her own family roots in Kennebunkport, it was natural for them to split their time between Maine and the Midwest.
The new millennium invigorated Bert. In 2001, he successfully spearheaded an amendment to the Missouri constitution to allow St. Louis citizens, rather than statewide voters, to make decisions for their city. And in 2002, Bert was asked by President George W. Bush to serve as Ambassador to Hungary. Bert and Carol spent the next three years there, representing America, growing to know and love Hungary and the Hungarian people.
For Bert, retirement meant more time for philanthropy and championing civic causes. His work with Better Together forwarded the narrative of how the city could be made stronger in unity. The capstone of his philanthropy-which included major gifts to Webster University and Washington University-emerged when he and Carol, herself a graduate of Eden Seminary, formed the Walker Leadership Institute. It teaches Eden Seminary students business skills at Webster University's George H. Walker School of Business, and likewise, ethical training at Eden for Webster business students.
Bert cherished small, everyday pleasures well into his 88th year, including his daily one-mile walk to Kingside Diner in St. Louis, his morning bike ride to H.B. Provisions in Kennebunkport, and the constant kindness of those behind the counter. He worked out religiously, including a three-minute "plank" each morning. He told his grandchildren he did this to stay alive long enough to see who they might marry. The first of his 15 grandchildren was married last summer. He timed his plank like this: Singing "Abide with Me," one minute; saying the Lord's Prayer, one minute; praying for loved ones, one minute.
Bert's colleagues, friends, and family will remember him for his accomplishments in business, his service as an ambassador, his philanthropy, and his love for and pride in his family, children and grandchildren. They will remember his warmth and energy, his humility, his optimism, and the ways he made the world a better place. But most of all, they loved and will remember him for his kindness.
Services: A Memorial Service will be held at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Ladue, 110 N. Warson Rd. at Ladue Rd., on Saturday, February 22, at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Walker Leadership Institute at Eden Seminary, 475 E. Lockwood, St. Louis, 63119 or to Evelyn's House, 1000 N. Mason Rd., St. Louis, 63141.
Published by Post - Dispatch on Jan. 26, 2020.
Obituary
Walker, George Herbert III
1931-2020
Bert Walker loved his family. He loved St. Louis and the Cardinals, and he loved Kennebunkport, Maine. He was a man who aspired to and accomplished much, both in business and as a public servant. Bert led Stifel Nicolaus as president and CEO, served as U.S. Ambassador to Hungary, and was a steadfast champion for the city of St. Louis. But what he valued most was kindness.
George Herbert Walker III was born in St. Louis in 1931, raised in the East, and educated at Groton, where he loved hearing hymns played on chapel bells. "Abide with Me" was a favorite. His family spent summers in Kennebunkport, Maine, on Walker's Point: he and his brother Ray and sister Betty, along with so many Walker and Bush cousins, played along the rocky coastline, took bracing dips in the sea, and spent time with aunts, uncles, and grandparents.
Bert's family history in St. Louis began in 1857 when his great-grandfather, D.D. Walker, stepped into the city at 17 with ten dollars in his pocket and, over the next several decades, built the Ely & Walker dry goods empire. Around the turn of the century, the Walker patriarch bought a pastoral spit of land on the southern Maine coast that would come to be known as Walker's Point. In 1900, Bert's grandfather founded G.H. Walker & Company in downtown St. Louis.
After Yale and Harvard Law School, Bert returned to the Gateway City in 1958. St. Louis felt like home-both his mother, Mary Carter, and his father, George Herbert Walker Jr., were raised in the Central West End-and he never looked back. His civic efforts were always aimed at making St. Louis a more vital and vibrant city. Early on, Bert worked for the brokerage and investment company started by his grandfather. He continued annual summer trips to Walker's Point, where he and his beloved children-Mary Elizabeth, Wendy, Isabelle, George IV, and Carter-connected with extended family.
In 1962, Bert's father "Herbie" Walker was a founding member of the New York Mets. Bert did his best to be respectful of the Mets, especially around his father, but his loyalties lay with the Redbirds. A signed baseball card from Johnny Mizer, given to him at age ten, was a lifelong cherished possession. But as belongings go, what mattered most to Bert was the large portrait of his grandmother, Loulie Wear Walker, that hung over his fireplace.
After G.H. Walker & Company was acquired by White Weld and then Merrill Lynch, Bert joined Stifel Nicolaus in 1977. In 1982, he was named president and CEO. He ran for U.S. Congress in 1992. Though he lost, Bert remained engaged in Republican politics and was proud to see his Bush relatives elected President.
In the mid-1980s, Bert met and married the great love of his life, Carol Banta Walker. She and her three children-John, Hilary and Paige-were welcomed into Bert's sphere, and friends noticed how well Carol's attributes balanced his. Their union was marked by adventure and endless laughter. With her own family roots in Kennebunkport, it was natural for them to split their time between Maine and the Midwest.
The new millennium invigorated Bert. In 2001, he successfully spearheaded an amendment to the Missouri constitution to allow St. Louis citizens, rather than statewide voters, to make decisions for their city. And in 2002, Bert was asked by President George W. Bush to serve as Ambassador to Hungary. Bert and Carol spent the next three years there, representing America, growing to know and love Hungary and the Hungarian people.
For Bert, retirement meant more time for philanthropy and championing civic causes. His work with Better Together forwarded the narrative of how the city could be made stronger in unity. The capstone of his philanthropy-which included major gifts to Webster University and Washington University-emerged when he and Carol, herself a graduate of Eden Seminary, formed the Walker Leadership Institute. It teaches Eden Seminary students business skills at Webster University's George H. Walker School of Business, and likewise, ethical training at Eden for Webster business students.
Bert cherished small, everyday pleasures well into his 88th year, including his daily one-mile walk to Kingside Diner in St. Louis, his morning bike ride to H.B. Provisions in Kennebunkport, and the constant kindness of those behind the counter. He worked out religiously, including a three-minute "plank" each morning. He told his grandchildren he did this to stay alive long enough to see who they might marry. The first of his 15 grandchildren was married last summer. He timed his plank like this: Singing "Abide with Me," one minute; saying the Lord's Prayer, one minute; praying for loved ones, one minute.
Bert's colleagues, friends, and family will remember him for his accomplishments in business, his service as an ambassador, his philanthropy, and his love for and pride in his family, children and grandchildren. They will remember his warmth and energy, his humility, his optimism, and the ways he made the world a better place. But most of all, they loved and will remember him for his kindness.
Services: A Memorial Service will be held at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Ladue, 110 N. Warson Rd. at Ladue Rd., on Saturday, February 22, at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Walker Leadership Institute at Eden Seminary, 475 E. Lockwood, St. Louis, 63119 or to Evelyn's House, 1000 N. Mason Rd., St. Louis, 63141.
Published by Post - Dispatch on Jan. 26, 2020.
Walker, George Herbert III
1931-2020
Bert Walker loved his family. He loved St. Louis and the Cardinals, and he loved Kennebunkport, Maine. He was a man who aspired to and accomplished much, both in business and as a public servant. Bert led Stifel Nicolaus as president and CEO, served as U.S. Ambassador to Hungary, and was a steadfast champion for the city of St. Louis. But what he valued most was kindness.
George Herbert Walker III was born in St. Louis in 1931, raised in the East, and educated at Groton, where he loved hearing hymns played on chapel bells. "Abide with Me" was a favorite. His family spent summers in Kennebunkport, Maine, on Walker's Point: he and his brother Ray and sister Betty, along with so many Walker and Bush cousins, played along the rocky coastline, took bracing dips in the sea, and spent time with aunts, uncles, and grandparents.
Bert's family history in St. Louis began in 1857 when his great-grandfather, D.D. Walker, stepped into the city at 17 with ten dollars in his pocket and, over the next several decades, built the Ely & Walker dry goods empire. Around the turn of the century, the Walker patriarch bought a pastoral spit of land on the southern Maine coast that would come to be known as Walker's Point. In 1900, Bert's grandfather founded G.H. Walker & Company in downtown St. Louis.
After Yale and Harvard Law School, Bert returned to the Gateway City in 1958. St. Louis felt like home-both his mother, Mary Carter, and his father, George Herbert Walker Jr., were raised in the Central West End-and he never looked back. His civic efforts were always aimed at making St. Louis a more vital and vibrant city. Early on, Bert worked for the brokerage and investment company started by his grandfather. He continued annual summer trips to Walker's Point, where he and his beloved children-Mary Elizabeth, Wendy, Isabelle, George IV, and Carter-connected with extended family.
In 1962, Bert's father "Herbie" Walker was a founding member of the New York Mets. Bert did his best to be respectful of the Mets, especially around his father, but his loyalties lay with the Redbirds. A signed baseball card from Johnny Mizer, given to him at age ten, was a lifelong cherished possession. But as belongings go, what mattered most to Bert was the large portrait of his grandmother, Loulie Wear Walker, that hung over his fireplace.
After G.H. Walker & Company was acquired by White Weld and then Merrill Lynch, Bert joined Stifel Nicolaus in 1977. In 1982, he was named president and CEO. He ran for U.S. Congress in 1992. Though he lost, Bert remained engaged in Republican politics and was proud to see his Bush relatives elected President.
In the mid-1980s, Bert met and married the great love of his life, Carol Banta Walker. She and her three children-John, Hilary and Paige-were welcomed into Bert's sphere, and friends noticed how well Carol's attributes balanced his. Their union was marked by adventure and endless laughter. With her own family roots in Kennebunkport, it was natural for them to split their time between Maine and the Midwest.
The new millennium invigorated Bert. In 2001, he successfully spearheaded an amendment to the Missouri constitution to allow St. Louis citizens, rather than statewide voters, to make decisions for their city. And in 2002, Bert was asked by President George W. Bush to serve as Ambassador to Hungary. Bert and Carol spent the next three years there, representing America, growing to know and love Hungary and the Hungarian people.
For Bert, retirement meant more time for philanthropy and championing civic causes. His work with Better Together forwarded the narrative of how the city could be made stronger in unity. The capstone of his philanthropy-which included major gifts to Webster University and Washington University-emerged when he and Carol, herself a graduate of Eden Seminary, formed the Walker Leadership Institute. It teaches Eden Seminary students business skills at Webster University's George H. Walker School of Business, and likewise, ethical training at Eden for Webster business students.
Bert cherished small, everyday pleasures well into his 88th year, including his daily one-mile walk to Kingside Diner in St. Louis, his morning bike ride to H.B. Provisions in Kennebunkport, and the constant kindness of those behind the counter. He worked out religiously, including a three-minute "plank" each morning. He told his grandchildren he did this to stay alive long enough to see who they might marry. The first of his 15 grandchildren was married last summer. He timed his plank like this: Singing "Abide with Me," one minute; saying the Lord's Prayer, one minute; praying for loved ones, one minute.
Bert's colleagues, friends, and family will remember him for his accomplishments in business, his service as an ambassador, his philanthropy, and his love for and pride in his family, children and grandchildren. They will remember his warmth and energy, his humility, his optimism, and the ways he made the world a better place. But most of all, they loved and will remember him for his kindness.
Services: A Memorial Service will be held at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Ladue, 110 N. Warson Rd. at Ladue Rd., on Saturday, February 22, at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Walker Leadership Institute at Eden Seminary, 475 E. Lockwood, St. Louis, 63119 or to Evelyn's House, 1000 N. Mason Rd., St. Louis, 63141.
Published by Post - Dispatch on Jan. 26, 2020.
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