Obituary of Willa Walker

WALKER, WILLA (MAGEE)— After a full and adventuresome life, Willa (Magee) Walker, died peacefully July 4, 2010 in St. Andrews, NB. Devoted wife of the late David Harry Walker and proud, caring mother of five boys, she was 97. Willa was born in Montreal, the daughter of Madeline (Smith), originally from Saint John, NB, and Allan A. Magee, a successful Montreal lawyer. She had an eclectic upbringing and was influenced in Montreal by such figures as Dr. Norman Bethune, Canada’s medical hero in the Chinese revolutionary war. While working her way around the world at the age of 20 as postmistress on an ocean liner, Willa visited China and began a life long interest in that country, which she visited again when she was in her seventies. On July 27, 1939 she married David, then an officer in the Black Watch and assigned as an aide-de-camp to the Governor-General of Canada, Lord Tweedsmuir (the writer John Buchan). The Second World War was imminent and the couple sped on their honeymoon to David’s native Scotland, where David soon rejoined his regiment, bound for the front. He was captured at St. Valery in France, shortly before Dunkerque and for the next five years was a prisoner of war in Germany. Willa was expecting when David left for the war and he never saw their first born boy, Patrick, who died at the age of three months. Soon after, Willa decided to return to Canada, the third of her four wartime crossings of the North Atlantic. While David was a prisoner of war, Willa worked tirelessly for his eventual freedom. She developed a code for communicating news in letters to her husband and smuggled escape maps to him in the soles of a pair of shoes contained in a Red Cross package. Her first attempt to conceal the maps was discovered by Canadian military intelligence officers, who, after scolding her, assisted in completing the job successfully. With her return to Canada, Willa joined the armed forces. She finished first in her class in her officer training and soon rose to become Wing Officer, the commanding officer of the 17,000-member Women’s Division of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Reunited in Britain at the end of the war, the couple lived in Scotland and Willa had their first son, Giles. The young family traveled to India, where David served as comptroller to the Viceroy of India, Lord Wavell. Willa witnessed a fascinating period of the history of India, including the street demonstrations in support of Mahatma Gandhi, and the rise of the future Prime Minister, Jawaharial Nehru. The family returned to Scotland, where Barclay was born, and they soon decided to move permanently to Canada, settling in St. Andrews, NB where Willa had spent happy summers as a child and where, over the next four decades, David was to write 21 books and twice win the Governor-General’s medal for literature. Two more boys soon came along, with sons David and Julian, born in nearby St. Stephen. Willa took tremendous interest in the welfare and careers of her sons and their families, with particular delight in the accomplishments of her ten grand children, and five great grandchildren. She happily supported many activities, including loading up the old Jeep with young hockey players to play at the pond at Strathcroix, their home outside St. Andrews. People were Willa’s passion, and she enjoyed immensely having people of all ages at their home for a summer swim in the pond or a cup of tea at the house. Willa was dedicated to her community of St. Andrews, serving in many organizations and writing a popular book No Hay Fever and a Railway and its later edition, Summers in St. Andrews, about the town and its families. She was a meticulous cataloguer and note taker, with a great interest in family stories and history. She was kidded by her family for operating up to seven desks simultaneously in their home. She was active in: the Canadian Club, the Charlotte County Museum, the Charlotte County Historical Society, the Charlotte County Archives, the Girl Guides, the St. Andrews Library later the Ross Memorial Library and Greenock Presbyterian Church. She maintained a keen interest in human rights and political issues and took particular delight in making immigrants to St. Andrews and New Brunswick feel welcome. Willa liked many sports, especially skiing, both downhill and cross-country. Along with her sister, Nora, and her great friend Margot Mais, she instituted tennis clinics for young players in the town. Willa and David enjoyed many travel adventures, including traversing the challenging Mt. Blanc glacier at Mt. Blanc, on the border of France and Switzerland. She and Nora founded the successful retail store in St. Andrews, La Baleine Boutique, which continues under successful new ownership to this day. It was said that the original owners would have been even more successful, had it not been for generous breaks for sherry and lunch. Besides her parents, she was predeceased by her husband David, two brothers, Jim and Allan; her sister, Nora; and her first son, Patrick. She is survived by four sons, Giles (and Hannele) of Montreal; Barclay of St. Andrews; Judge David (Diane) of St. Andrews and Julian (Caroline) of Fredericton; her ten adored grandchildren, Anna Kaisa, Sam, Jordan, Zoe, Josh, Erica, Riley, Matthew, Meg and David, and five great-grandchildren: Christian, Izaya, Xavier, Anya and her namesake, Willa; and by her last surviving first cousin, Helen Starnes of Ottawa, and her beloved sisters-in-law, Margie Walker of Scotland, and Phoebe Ann Magee of St. Andrews; and by many cherished nieces, nephews, cousins and God-children. A family committal service for Willa was held on July 10, 2010 at the Sandy Point Cemetery, Bayside, NB, presided over by Rev. Basil Lowery. Serving as pall bearers were Barclay Walker, David Walker, Julian Walker, Riley Walker, John Rigby, and Senator Michael Meighen. A Memorial Service will be held at 3 pm on Aug. 15 at Greenock Presbyterian Church, St. Andrews, and a reception will follow at the Church Hall. In lieu of flowers donations would be greatly appreciated by the family to Passamaquoddy Lodge of St. Andrews , where Willa lived for almost nine years, the Charlotte County Archives, the Greenock Church or the Brain Tumor Foundation of Canada. Arrangements have been entrusted to Humphreys Funeral Home, 20 Mark Street, St. Stephen, NB (506-466-3110). On line condolences may be placed at www.humpreysfh.com ________________________