Very interesting rite up
Jim
Sent from my iPhoneiPhone
On Nov 11, 2017, at 10:50 PM, Carl Kunath via Texascavers
<texascavers@texascavers.com> wrote:
Jimmy Walker.
With heavy heart and a sense of considerable personal loss I report to you that
Texas has lost one of the pioneer
members of its caving community. Jimmy Walker passed away October 12, 2017 age
90 after a short final illness. It
was my honor to be counted as one of his friends.
Many of you may now be confused and asking "who?" Take a look at page 33 in 50
Years of Texas Caving to see
Jimmy in action. Also see page 25 for an iconic view of Devil's Sinkhole with
Jimmy holding aloft a safety flare.
<Walker%20on%20ladder%20[Walker][3].jpg><Devil's%20Sinkhole%20(1952)%20from%2050%20YEARS%20(Large)[2].jpg><10-2001%20adjusted%20-%20Jimmy%20and%20Carol%20Walker%20(2)%20(Large)[3].jpg>
Jimmy's prime caving days were in the 1950s with others of the era such as Bob
Hudson, James Papadakis, Preston
McMichael, Bob and Bart Crisman, and the enigmatic Frank Nicholson. Jimmy's
caving exploits while substantial,
were but a small part of his life. He was a skillful writer. During his caving
career, he wrote several short stories that
were published in the "adventure" magazines of the time such as "I Fell Into
The Lost Cavern" that was set at Cascade
Caverns. A later book, Win, A Casino Survival Guide is much more than the
title would suggest.
Jimmy was an accomplished photographer and consummate painter. His paintings
were photo-realistic and he
trademarked the term "Absolute Realism."
<Cover,%20Absolute%20Realism%20(Large)[2].jpg><The%20Surveyor%20-%20Jimmy%20Walker%20Painting[5].jpg>
Jimmy and his wife, Carol, were world famous collectors of pressing irons and
for several years they published Iron Talk,
a bi-monthly newsletter. In 2004, when their collection of 1,700 irons was
sold at auction, it took several days to disburse
the collection.
<Jimmy%20Walker%20&%20Some%20Collectables%20(Medium)[2].jpg><Walker%20Iron%20Auction%20(Medium)[3].jpg>
Jimmy had a professional career as a magician and partnered with Walter Blaney,
a sometimes caving companion. See
page 318 of 50 Years for a picture of them in the Lower Cave at Carlsbad
Caverns.
Jimmy was one of the early explorers at Caverns of Sonora and was with Preston
McMichael for the first explorations
of Deep Cave. Here is a photo of Jimmy and his wife, Carol, in the early days
at Caverns of Sonora.
<Jimmy%20&%20Carol%20At%20Valley%20Of%20Ice%20(Large)[4].jpg>
This short memorial does not do justice to the incredible depth and
multi-faceted personality of Jimmy Walker.
Moreover, this is the kind of thing that should appear in a nice newsletter
such as the now moribund Texas Caver.
This bulletin board is a poor substitute.
We are diminished.
===Carl Kunath
Virus-free. www.avast.com
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