Richard H. Walker

Richard H. (Rich) Walker passed away on October 22, 2022 in Superior, Colorado after a courageous seven-year battle with prostate cancer.  

Rich was born in Santa Monica, California.  He lived in Santa Monica and Malibu, California until he was nine years old when his father’s job with North American Rockwell Aviation took the family to Columbus, Ohio where Rich graduated from Upper Arlington High School.  After graduating from Ohio State University School of Business, Rich moved back to Los Angeles.  He worked in the Finance Department at Pacific Airmotive Corporation in Burbank, California.  He left there to open “Native Arts” in Brentwood, California selling artifacts, clothing and collectibles from Africa, South America, and Mexico.  Rich always enjoyed studying other cultures and said he would have loved to be a cultural anthropologist.  He left Los Angeles in 1973 and moved to Snowmass Village, Colorado where he was head of Finance for Village Property Management, owned by the Walker family.  When the family sold the company, Rich took an EMT class which fascinated him.  He was appointed Director of Aspen’s Ambulance District in 1980 and managed the service until he retired in 2009.  He led the development of the service from all volunteers to a fully paid service of highly qualified paramedics.  He was always proud to say that Aspen Ambulance had some of the very best paramedics in Colorado. In retirement, he continued to learn and took classes at CU Boulder, was President of his HOA and did countless construction projects with his sons. 

Rich was an amazing man, father, and husband, strong-willed and determined to help others as he participated in several clinical trials while he battled cancer. He was an adventurer, but his greatest joy was his family, who loved him dearly. He always had a warm presence and brought joy to those around him through laughter and genuineness, was a lifelong learner and always had a curiosity for the world around him. Rich was a unique soul, never fully aware of the immense benefit he brought to the world. He will be greatly missed. 

He is survived by his wife and partner of 47 years, Carole, and his two sons,  RC Walker his wife, Molly, and Rich’s grandson, Conro and Geoff Walker, and his wife Giordana.  He is also survived by his sister Sheri Hulsey (Jim), brother, Stephen Walker, brother-in-law, Stephen Pixley, nephews, Christian Walker, Matthew Walker, Henry Pixley,  niece, Leila Walker, and stepmother, Marilyn Walker.

A celebration of his life will be held in February in Boulder, Colorado.