Lewis Walker, Jr.

Lewis Jackson Walker, Jr., age 86, died October 22, 2020, at his home in Ripley, Tennessee. There will be a Private Family Graveside Service on Monday, October 26, 2020, at Trinity Cemetery. Mr. Walker leaves his wife of 60 years, Ineita (Kuykendall) Walker; his daughters Monica Kimmons, Laura Seeman (Mike), and Claire Phillips (Randy); his son Jackson Walker (Allison); two brothers, Dan Walker (Carol) and Charles Walker (Carol); ten grandchildren: Christopher Kimmons (Anna) and Rachel Conner (Ryan); Nicholas and Andrew Seeman; Madeline, Katherine and Bonnie Claire Phillips; and Emma, Mary Grace, and Sarah Walker; as well as many friends. Born and raised in Ripley, TN, the son of Lewis and Eloise Brown Walker, Lewis attended Ripley High School where he was involved in sports (four years of baseball, basketball and football, Junior Baseball Captain, All Big Ten End, Senior Baseball Captain), academics (Beta Club and Honor Boy), and leadership (High Life, Annual Staff, Junior and Senior Class Vice President, Boy’s State Representative, Literary Club). After graduation in 1952, he declined an opportunity to pursue professional baseball to attend the University of Tennessee at Knoxville where he earned a B.A. in Mathematics and was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He met his wife, Ineita Kuykendall, in Huntsville, Alabama, where they both worked at General Electric. Lewis and Ineita married in 1960. Together they raised four children. Lewis and Ineita were active in the First Methodist Church of Ripley throughout their marriage. Lewis began his career in Los Angles writing software for Lockheed Martin test Planes. He worked for General Electric in several capacities. 1) writing software in Huntsville, Alabama, for the Mercury mission, 2) writing software in Honolulu, Hawaii, to track allied and enemy submarine positions, and 3) supporting computer sales with technical expertise. Lewis was on the cutting edge of computer technology for 50 years. Lewis had a desire to spend more time with his family, so after working in the computer field for 15 years, he returned to Ripley to farm with his father and his brother Dan. Just like his varied computer career, Lewis had extremely varied farming endeavors. His farming career included raising beef cattle, corn, soy bean, cotton, milo, wheat and a commercial peach orchard. The Walker Brothers farmed for 36 years before retiring. Lewis always loved traveling, from Airstream camping with his young family, to boating rivers and the Gulf in his cruiser, to traveling the globe with his wife after retirement. Though he always loved traveling, all the more he loved coming home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Trinity Cemetery Association, c/o Mary Jane Baggett, 74 Tibbs-Forked Deer Rd., Brownsville, TN 38012, or the First United Methodist Church, 145 S. Main Street, Ripley, TN 38063. All services and arrangements are under the direction of Lea & Simmons Funeral Home in Brownsville, TN.