Retired Lt. Col. Jack Ellsworth Walker, 91, of Leavenworth, Kansas, passed away on Dec. 31, 2025, in Olathe, Kansas.
He was born on Feb. 18, 1934, in Baltimore, Maryland, to John E. Walker and Mildred E. Walker (Hardwick), both of whom predeceased him. He grew up and attended school in Baltimore, culminating in his graduation from Johns Hopkins University. While attending university he played football, lacrosse and enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve. Upon graduation, he was commissioned in the Regular Army as a second lieutenant in the Armor Branch. Prior to reporting for his first duty assignment, Jack married the love of his life, Doris I. Martin, on June 22, 1957 in Baltimore.
Jack had a distinguished military career that included assignments at Fort Knox, Kentucky; Fort Hood, Texas; Germany; Baltimore; the Pentagon; Fort Leavenworth; Korea; and Vietnam. His service in Vietnam included combat action during the Tet Offensive where he was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Combat Infantry Badge.
In 1985 he became the deputy to the Garrison commander of Fort Leavenworth, a post he held for 33 years, until his retirement in 2019 with 62 years of federal service. Jack loved the military and supporting soldiers and their families. He fulfilled his dream of serving his country. Needing to keep his mind active following Doris’ death and his retirement, he enrolled in school to complete a second master's degree, which was awarded at the age of 88.
When asked what he was going to do next, his typical reply would be “I'm going to medical school, which I can complete by the time I am 102. Then I’ll hang out my shingle that will say Dr. Walker, Experienced in Gerontology.”
Those who knew him well also knew that he was involved in almost everything in the Leavenworth community: Leavenworth City Planning Commission for 20 years; director, Citizens Savings and Loan FSB for 30 Years; director, Armed Forces Insurance; director, Saint John and Providence Hospitals; director, Leadership Leavenworth/Lansing; Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs; American Red Cross; Carillon Committee, Leavenworth National Cemetery; Leavenworth Lions Club; OBs of Fort Leavenworth; Veterans of Foreign Wars; American Legion; Disabled American Veterans; Military Society of the Purple Heart; and the Henry Leavenworth Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.
The Boy Scouts of America’s Heart of America Council recognized Jack with its highest honor for adult Scout volunteers – the prestigious Silver Beaver Award. He was a lifelong member of the Mount Moriah Masonic Lodge No. 116 of Towson, Maryland. In 1996 he was recognized as the Leavenworth Citizen of the Year. When not working or engaged in community activities, he enjoyed golf, honing his marksman skills, backpacking and camping, and he was an avid reader. Jack joins his wife, Doris Martin Walker, at his heavenly home. He is survived by three children: Jack E. Jr. (Theresa) of Katy, Texas; Kathryn Walker West (Oliver I., deceased) of Leavenworth; and Kevin M. Walker (Renee) of Lenexa, Kansas. He was the loving “Pop Pop” of four grandchildren — Jenaé Walker Templeman (Brock), Justin, Brooks and Brady Walker, and two great-grandchildren — Graham and Collins Templeman. He welcomed two special step-granddaughters, Angela West and Amber West, into his life.
Jack was generous, honorable, a thoughtful mentor to countless individuals, a gentleman and a great friend. He was a gracious servant, and his legacy will be felt in the Leavenworth area community for many years to come. He and Doris were role models for their family and to many in the community.
The family would like to thank the Kansas University Medical Center teams, especially the ICU team in Unit 63. As was typical for Dad, he made everyone around him feel special as he learned tidbits about each of the doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, aides and housekeepers. Special appreciation is expressed to the Olathe Hospice House for — using Dad’s words — a serene setting for his comfort care.
Jack was a lifelong Methodist and a member of the First United Methodist Church of Leavenworth since 1970 where he served in various capacities. His great joy in recent years was working with the Samaritan’s Buffet Team to prepare and serve meals on Saturday. He was known as the master dishwasher.
Visitation was Jan. 7, and the funeral service is at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 8 at the First United Methodist Church in Leavenworth, 422 Chestnut St., with burial to follow at 11 a.m. at the Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery. Following the burial, lunch will be served at the church, and all are welcome.
Arrangements are entrusted to Davis Funeral Chapel, Leavenworth. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be given to First United Methodist Church of Leavenworth, 422 Chestnut St., Leavenworth, KS 66048, or the University of Kansas Health System Olathe Hospice House, 15310 S Marion St, Olathe, KS 66061.
FROM THE LAMP ARCHIVES
Published in the Aug. 15, 2013, issue of the Fort Leavenworth Lamp
Walker receives top civilian award
by Jan Dumay/Former Fort Leavenworth Lamp Staff Writer
FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kansas (Aug. 15, 2013) — At 2 p.m. Aug. 8, 2013, Jack E. Walker, deputy to the Fort Leavenworth Garrison commander, sat at a table in his office assessing an event that took place three hours earlier.
In an 11 a.m. ceremony that day in the crowded ballroom of the Frontier Conference Center, Walker was awarded the Exceptional Civilian Service Award, the highest award a Department of the Army civilian can receive. Only two awards take precedence over it: the Distinguished Service Cross and the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Walker, 79, also received a plaque for 55 years of service to the federal government. It was presented by Lt. Gen. Michael Ferriter, commander of the Army’s Installation Management Command.
But to Walker, who was called “a living legend” in the ceremony by Garrison Commander Col. Timothy R. Wulff, the whole thing seemed quite perplexing.
“I told someone this morning, ‘You get to be my age and you’ve got the years of service, and they don’t know what else to do with you so they give you a medal,’” he said. “It’s like giving you a gold watch when you retire.”
But Walker said he has no plans to retire from a job he loves because it keeps him young and young at heart.
“I don’t feel that I have done anything special to merit the recognition because I have been and continue to do what I have loved to do for these many years,” he told those at the ceremony.
“This honor is not mine alone but needs to be shared with many soldiers and leaders with whom I have served and the hundreds of dedicated civilian employees with whom I have associated over the years. It did not take me long to recognize that what my fellow civilian employees do is really what deserves the recognition.”
Modesty, say those who know him well, is characteristic of the man whose career highlights also include receiving many previous accolades for both military and civilian service, such as the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal and the Meritorious Civilian Service Award. He is the only person on post to receive the Exceptional Civilian Service Award.
“I’m very proud of him,” said Walker’s son, Kevin, after the ceremony. “I think he’s amazing. He’s worked very hard and really has dedicated a lot of his life to making Fort Leavenworth a better place for everyone. I think this is in recognition of the work that he’s done.”
The Exceptional Civilian Service Award states, in part, that from October 2009 through October 2012, Walker “provided unparalleled leadership while demonstrating an unyielding commitment to excellence, diversity and selfless service in support of soldiers, families, civilians, retirees and those in the surrounding communities. Through his vision, a tireless work ethic and an amazing knack of putting the many diverse pieces together, he flawlessly orchestrated day-to-day activities, as well as long-range plans while actively seeking increased efficiencies in the midst of delivering improved services to the community.”
Walker’s service to the nation began in 1957, when he was commissioned as the distinguished military graduate of the ROTC program at Johns Hopkins University. During his military career, he served as an adviser in Vietnam and worked in the J-3 of the United Nations Command in Korea.
He came to Fort Leavenworth in 1970, first as a Command and General Staff College student and then he stayed another year as an author and instructor for CGSC. After a tour in Korea, Walker returned to Fort Leavenworth as the assistant director of CGSC’s Department of Command. He was the post’s director of Plans, Training and Security from 1978 until his retirement in 1980.
After a short stint with the Kansas Office of Emergency Management, Walker returned to work for the Army as a civilian, managing the Media Support Center. For the last 28 years, he has been the deputy to the Garrison commander.
“The effects of your contributions will endure for all times,” retired Lt. Gen. Robert Arter, civilian aide to the secretary of the Army for Kansas, told Walker at the ceremony. “With each opportunity to share time with you, we profit from your vision, achievements, generosity in so many ways and particularly as an educator and mentor.”
In his remarks, Arter referred to the fact that Elvis Presley had been Walker’s driver in the Army.
When it was his turn to speak, Walker joked that he hoped his tombstone will state something other than that fact.
“If that is my singular accomplishment from my career, hopefully, we can do better than that,” he said.
Walker lives in Leavenworth with his wife of 56 years, Doris. The couple has three children and four grandchildren.
At the ceremony, Walker thanked his wife “for hanging in there with me. Without her help and understanding I would never be where I am today,” he said.
Wulff told Walker that it had been an honor to serve with him and learn from him.
“Mr. Walker, I tell you this — you deserve every award, every accolade that’s come your way,” Wulff said.
Later, Wulff said that he appreciated Walker’s command of the English language.
“Everything I write and everything I say, he’s correcting me,” he said. “So not only is he helping me professionally with my duties, he’s also helping me with my grammar, my English.”
Wulff, who has been the Garrison commander since June 2012, said he had feared that Walker, with his longevity on post, would want to take over. He need not have worried.
“He told me when I came, ‘Even though I have been here 27, 28 years, this is your turn. I’ve had my time,’” Wulff said. “He never hinders me in any way, but he’s always there to backstop.
“He’s very humble. It’s about mission. It’s not about individual accolades. It’s not about any of that. That’s why he’s so nice to work with. He’s a very good man.”
Walker, who has worked for 12 Garrison commanders, likened his job to being a city manager.
“We have the equivalent of parks and recreation, we have contracting, we have logistics, and we have engineering and a police department and a fire department,” Walker said. “So, it’s the whole gamut of things that you would find in any city.”
Despite recent financial woes in the Army, Walker remains positive.
“I keep telling people, ‘The sun’s going to come up tomorrow. It’s going to be a little bit more difficult in making things happen and managing things because you’re not going to have as many dollars, you’re not going to have as many people,’” he said. “But I told someone this morning that in the years that I’ve been doing this, we have never, never had a person go out the front gate involuntarily. We’ve always been able to move them from one job to another job, or they were eligible to retire. There’s a great deal of pride in that. We take care of our people and make sure that the people have a way to earn a living. And they don’t have to go to bed at night worrying about, ‘My job’s going to go away tomorrow.’”
Walker said he appreciates his working environment.
“I’ve had great bosses, the Garrison commanders and the sergeants major, and I’ve got great directors and the supervisors under them,” he said. “I just sit here and do my thing, and it’s pretty comfortable, it really is.”
It’s been a good life, he noted.
“And I’m not rushing to leave it,” he said.
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