Walker, Hampton James* AUGUSTA, Ga. – Hampton James Walker, beloved husband of Joan Castleberry Walker, died at home Saturday, February 2, 2008 following a gallant battle against lung disease. A memorial service will be held Wednesday, February 6, 2008 at 2:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Augusta, Georgia, with The Reverend Dr. Richard E. Sanders, The Reverend James H. Silcox, Jr., and The Reverend William Thomas Fitzgerald officiating. He was an active member of St. Paul’s until his recent illness. Mr. Walker was born in Waycross, Georgia on June 6, 1931. He was the son of Frank Elliott and Bertie Lee Murrhee Walker. His family’s roots were in Nassau County, Florida where he was born into the Primitive Baptist community. He had a deep faith in Jesus Christ as his Savior. He attended grammar and high school in Waycross. He was Hi-Y Speaker of the House and Boy Governor of Georgia. He was a Life Scout and a member of The Order of the Arrow. While in high school, his brother, a West Point Graduate, encouraged him to seek a military education. He graduated from the Citadel in 1953, where he won the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award and was the Regimental Commander of the Corps of Cadets of the Military College of South Carolina. He was the top Air Force cadet in the United States in 1952-1953 and wore gold stars for four years. From an early age, Mr. Walker was an entrepreneur. He began his business career at the age of seven selling boiled peanuts, fire crackers and newspapers. By the age of twelve he was working for his father in his men’s clothing store. After graduating from college, he went into business with his father helping manage a variety of businesses, including motels, automobile dealerships, theatres, orange groves, shrimp boats, cemeteries, poultry and cattle, and timber and land development. Mr. Walker was President and CEO of Diamond W. Feeds and Walker Investments and President of Peoples Bank of Hilliard, Florida. In the early 1970’s he moved from Hilliard to Jacksonville, Florida and went into land development and construction. He was President and CEO of Heidi Construction Company. He married Stephanie Swinford and they had one daughter, Wendy. Mr. Walker was involved with the Greater Jacksonville Open Golf Tournament (GJO), which later became the Tournament Players Championship (TPC). He was chairman of the TPC in 1976. He was awarded both the PGA Tour’s Joseph C. Dey, Jr. Award and the GJO’s Paul Warren Award. He was instrumental in convincing Dean Beaman, then Commissioner of Golf for the PGA Tour, to make Ponte Vedra the home of The Players Championship. He was a member of the Honorable Company of Past Chairmen of TPC and GJO (Red Coats) and a charter member of the Tournament Players Club. For thirty-eight years he was an active member of Alcoholics Anonymous. He was a founder of Gateway Community Services in Jacksonville and of the Hale Foundation in Augusta, both of which operate half-way houses for recovering drug and alcohol abusers. He was also on the board of the Nancy Reagan Foundation/ Village. In 1981 Mr. Walker moved to Augusta to become President and CEO of Castleberry’s Food Company. Under his leadership Castleberry’s started Spuds, Inc., to provide Castleberry’s and other food processors fresh vegetables; the company purchased Poss’ Barbeque and built a canning plant. The company was sold in 1992. Professionally, Mr. Walker was a member of the National Association of Food Research and the National Canners Association. He was also a member of the Augusta Country Club, The San Jose Country Club (Jacksonville), the TPC, the Ponte Vedra Club, The Heritage Club and the Augusta Golf Association, the Past Regimental Commanders Association of the Citadel, and President of the Citadel Alumni Association. He was a life-long hunter, hunting both big and small game in the U.S. and abroad. He loved animals and had four grand-dogs and three grand-cats. He had two great grand-dogs, including a bloodhound who is his namesake. He also loved a good game of gin- rummy and watching football. Mr. Walker was preceded in death by his parents; and his brother, Frank. He is survived by his wife of twenty-three years, Joan Castleberry Walker; his daughter, Wendy Walker of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; his sister, Lilly Walker Gibson (Mrs. Benjamin) of Jacksonville, Fla.; three step-daughters, Lee Cory (Mrs. E. Neal, II) of Louisville, Ky., Missy deSouza (Mrs. Steven) of Concord, N.C., Katherine Ferrara (Mrs. Martin E.) of Augusta, Ga.; one step-son, Frank Troutman, III of Augusta; four grand-daughters, Stewart Cory, Preston Cory, Maggie deSouza and Alexandra Ferrara; two grand-sons, Clem McDavid and Martin Ferrara, Jr.; two nieces, Susan Darden (Mrs. Matthew) of Orlando, Fla. and Lynn Reynolds (Mrs. William) of Canton, Ga.; two great nieces and two great-nephews, one of whom is his namesake. He had twenty-eight first cousins, eleven of whom are still living.
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