Tarentum pastor Rev. Robert Walker remembered for good nature, friend to all

When the Rev. Robert Walker needed to clear his mind and prepare for a Sunday sermon, he hit the trails at Harrison Hills.

“He loved to walk and everyone knew him for that,” said his son, Jason. “He would also walk around the neighborhood and he talked to everyone.”

Rev. Walker passed away Tuesday after a brief respiratory illness. He was 80.

A pastor at First Baptist Church in Tarentum for 30 years, Walker was as well known for his social skills as he was for his daily jaunts.

“He loved sitting on his porch and talking to everyone,” according to his son. “My brother and I joke that he was someone who never met a stranger. If you sat next to him, you’d know everything about him in about 20 minutes.”

Karen Snair, executive director of the Allegheny Valley Association of Churches, called Walker a wonderful friend. She said the community lost a true champion for those in need.

Walker served on the association’s board of directors more than three decades and chaired various committees over the years.

“He never failed to ask how you were doing and also how all your family members were — always addressing them by name,” Snair said. “You could always count on him when you needed anything.”

Walker faithfully participated in the annual local fundraiser, Walk for Hunger, and prided himself in raising substantial donations for the Allegheny Valley Association of Churches’ food bank. He volunteered monthly at its food distributions, presiding over a prayer for the volunteers and then doling out bags of food to the hundreds of needy people in line.

Walker was an outspoken advocate for the Family Promise program and also hosted families experiencing homelessness for many years, Snair said.

“He had a true heart for those who were hurting,” Snair said.

Dick Potter, a longtime friend and member of First Baptist church, said Walker was one of the most approachable people he’s ever met.

“He was never too busy for anyone,” Potter said. “He was very outgoing and really liked to talk to everyone he met.”

Potter laughed and said Walker never really retired, even after he stepped down as church head.

“He kept on calling, checking on church people,” Potter said. “He’d spend hours and hours in the hospital if you had someone in there.”

Walker oversaw the chaplaincy program that AVAC previously operated at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrion. He continued to serve after the association of churches no longer ran the service.

He also served as the president of the Highlands Community Action Committee.

“He will be greatly missed by many,” Snair said.

Born in New England, Walker earned his bachelor’s degree at Barrington College in Rhode Island and went on to earn his Master’s of Divinity from Eastern Baptist Seminary in Philadelphia.

All these years later, Walker still spoke with a Boston twang, Jason said.

“He was proud of the accent,” Jason Walker said. “But he was a Steelers fan.”

Walker served 15 years as a minister at Lincolnville Baptist Church near Erie before moving to the Natrona Heights section of Harrison in the mid-1980s.

He settled with his wife and four sons into a church parsonage along Third Street. When he retired from the church five years ago, he moved a whole block away into a home along Second Street.

At the same time, he suffered some health issues and had a heart pump implanted. It didn’t slow his daily walks. He carried a small case in one hand that held the pump’s batteries.

“He never complained,” Jason said. “That showed his resilience.”

Jason Walker said his father also enjoyed reading, refinishing antiques and spending time with his family.

He recalled that it was difficult for his father to retire from the church, partly because it enabled him to communicate with and help so many different people.

“He was one of those people who never said anything bad about someone,” Jason said. “He found the good in everyone.”

Visitation will be from 1 to 3 and 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at Duster Funeral Home, 347 E. Tenth Ave., Tarentum.

A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday in First Baptist Church, Tarentum, with the Rev. Kenneth E. Thompson and Rev. Dr. Felicia Brock, officiating. Burial will be private.