We Mourn The Passing of Retired Brother Thomas Walker. He was 92 years old, and had been a Local 569 and IBEW member since he initiated on May 10, 1945, when he was 17½ years old.
Following his military service, he was already well into his 2nd year as a “civil servant”, when he came to Local 569, in February 1945. Perhaps he was 16 years old (or younger) when he enlisted to serve in the World War II effort, unlike what his “official” obituary states (see below). Brother Walker would not be alone in his patriotic act, as numerous teens of that era represented themselves as an older age, in order to serve our country.
He was barely 19 years old, when he decided to take a Travel Card from our Local to Local 11. It took him 20 years to decide to move back to San Diego, in 1967. In late 1967, he was dispatched to Swigart Electric. Since he lived in Local 441’s jurisdiction, one can surmise that, after his gig at Swigart, his Walker Electric became signatory with the same Local.
Brother Walker still called Orange County his home, at the time of his passing.
