Ellis E. Walker Jr. 1925 - 2016
Ellis E. Walker, Jr. 1925 -2016
Ellis E. Walker, Jr., 91, of Concord, a longtime member of the Society, died Friday, October 28, 2016 at his Concord home. He was the husband for 62 years of Phyllis (Pitman) Walker. Born in Augusta, Maine on July 26, 1925, he was the son of the late Ellis E. and Marjorie E. (Hathorne) Walker. He attended Augusta public schools and graduated from Cony High School in 1943. He attended Northeastern University in Boston for a short time before enlisting in the U. S. Marine Corps where he served as a Sergeant during World War II. Concord’s town flag will fly at half-staff on Saturday, November 19th in recognition of his service to his country.
He completed his Bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering from Northeastern University upon his return from the service and later received a Master’s in Business Administration degree also from Northeastern. For many years prior to his retirement in 1990 Ellis was employed with the Foxboro Company in Plymouth. As a young man, he worked for the Maine Central; he also worked for the B&M at the Billerica Shops in the early 1950 when steam power was still being repaired and maintained there. He was the fourth generation of Walkers to work in the railroad industry.
Ellis was a Concord resident for the past 59 years. He was active in the Trinitarian Congregational Church, where for many years he was a Deacon and served on the Missionary Committee. He was also active in Boy Scout Troop 149 where he was on the Troop Committee for many years.
He was a railroad enthusiast and historian and was especially active in the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum, where he wrote a column in the monthly newsletter. His articles were collected and published in a book called Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Musings.
Ellis was also active in the Boston & Maine Railroad Historical Society, serving as a director of the Society and as a Member Emeritus of the Archives Committee. Rick Conard recalls that Ellis’ entertaining, low key way of talking and his wealth of personal recollections greatly added to our Archives meetings. Rick also remembers that Ellis served with John Alden at the B&MRRHS tables at railroad shows in the 1970s. Ellis also worked at the short-lived Steam Village tourist RR in Gilford, NH. He will be remembered by his fellow Society members as a soft spoken, knowledgeable gentlemen who was an outstanding representative of the railfan community.
In addition to his wife, Phyllis, Ellis is survived by two sons, Timothy Walker and his wife Nancy of Boxford and Donald Walker and his wife Vicki Halal of Medford, 4 grandchildren, Henry and Peter Walker of Boxford and Leila and Michael Walker of Medford, and one sister Marjorie Lennon and her husband Michael of Hooksett, NH.
A memorial service will be held at 2 PM on Saturday November 19th, 2016, at the Trinitarian Congregational Church, 54 Walden St., Concord, Mass. Contributions in his memory may be made to:
WW&F Railway Museum In memory of: Ellis E. Walker Jr., P.O. Box 242, Alna, ME 04345-0242
