Eulogy for a Friend and Fellow Author
Yesterday, a dear friend of mine, Richard G. Walker, passed away. I knew him mostly on Facebook and through many email conversations over a period of 18 years. I was also privileged to have the opportunity to go see him and his wonderful family in Stopsley, UK. He was an author but most of you would not know him and if you had encountered his books, would most likely not have read them. Tastes have changed radically and the writing of an author who was old enough to remember his childhood during WWII and wrote primarily about the people and places in the UK that the war affected might not be of burning interest to most modern readers.
He was very good at what he did. He wrote with style, grace, humor, and empathy for his characters who struggled in the English countryside as the war went on. His novels included Sing a Song of Stopsley, Flying Upside Down, To Catch the Shadow of the Moon, Baggy Mag, The Ballad of Cricklewood Broadway and a small book of poetry, Stay Awhile. I loved all his books, but Baggy Mag was my favorite. Baggy Mag was a touching story of the love between two cousins who grew up together. There were times the story had me laughing and other times when it caused me to cry.
Richard came into contact with me when I started publicizing my first book, Enchanted Shores. I remember his comment clearly, “Ira, you are the new Aesop!” We exchanged books and other writing over the entire 18 years, giving each other an emotional boost and a critical eye for detail. He also loved my second book, We Won’t Forget You Mr. McGillicuddy. It was an honor to have another author, especially one who writes so well, comment so positively on my efforts at writing.
When I took my granddaughter to the UK to visit him, he and his wife were such gracious hosts. He had offered to put us up at his house but at the last minute, his son and girlfriend had to move in because they had lost their apartment. There was no room in their tiny home for all of us so he suggested we look into staying in the nearby town of Lilly at the 500-year-old Lilly Arms Bed and Breakfast Inn. It was inexpensive and gave my granddaughter and I a wonderful place to stay and meet locals. Richard also wanted to lend me his car to get around, but I declined as I wasn’t very comfortable driving on the wrong side of the road and didn’t want to bang up his auto. He loved that I brought my granddaughter with me. She was 15 at the time. He also gave her a big boost of encouragement when she agreed to give us a reading of some poetry she had written. After our visit, he always asked after “your beautiful granddaughter,” and was pleased when I included some tidbit about her in my email.
There are some people you meet who are nice enough, interesting and all that. But once in a while, you meet someone who is exceptional and whose personality not only meshes with yours but leaves you with a lasting positive impression. For me, Richard was that kind of person. He worked hard most of is life as a craftsman at Carron Iron Works and he also worked hard at his writing. He was much more than just an everyday worker. He was a man full of life, full of life’s stories living life as fully as he could. I will miss him dearly.