William Rufus Walker III

William Rufus "Bill" Walker, Jr., lifelong adventurer and devoted family man, passed away peacefully at home on January 27, 2026, at age 99. Born on November 3, 1926, in South Jacksonville, Florida, to parents Eva Allen Walker and William Rufus Walker, Jr., Bill lived a remarkable life marked by independence, curiosity, logic, and deep care for those around him.

From an early age, Bill demonstrated resourcefulness and self-reliance. As a pre-teen, his time was filled with entrepreneurial pursuits, including yard work, refurbishing and reselling mailboxes, and raising chickens to sell to neighbors. By age 16, he was balancing full-time work at the post office with early-morning classes. He purchased a convertible and refurbished an old sailboat that he joked was so heavy it could only sail in hurricane conditions. He further honed his craftsman skills by converting a screen porch into a room at his family home. A true son of Florida, Bill never forgot his childhood years, which fostered a lifelong appreciation for the ecology of beaches, marshes, and oceans.

Bill served his country during World War II as a sailor in the U.S. Navy, enlisting at age 18 and serving in Europe. After the war, he immediately enrolled at the University of Florida under the GI Bill. Upon completing his master's degree in statistics, he served in the Army Corps of Engineers specializing in wave theory. The majority of his career was spent as a statistician with Southern Bell, including a stint with AT&T and the Bell Labs in Princeton, New Jersey. He retired from Southern Bell in Atlanta in 1989 after a distinguished tenure.

A passionate University of Florida Gator, Bill embodied the spirit of lifelong learning. If a topic touched land, water, sky, or beyond, Bill wanted to explore it. His hobbies and pursuits knew no bounds. He sailed, skied, and cycled the world. He was a boat captain, prolific woodworker, chess aficionado, bonsai artist, and knife collector. Bill was a painter and an accomplished photographer who developed his own film. With musical tastes ranging from Beethoven to bluegrass, Bill played a mean harmonica. He engineered elaborate kites, piloted airplanes, and peered through telescopes into the vast cosmos. A true nature lover, he never stopped reading about-and marveling at-the animal world. He never met an apple strudel or flying buttress that failed to delight.

Bill's caring nature shone brightest in family life. Of all his accomplishments, Bill cherished his marriage to Bonnie Pamela Cain the most. They shared 56 years of partnership, devotion, and love. He respected her intellect, valued her opinions, and was so proud of her technical and career accomplishments. Bill readily acknowledged that Bonnie made him a better man. Together, they built a life centered on family, curiosity, and quiet purpose. He supported his wife through cancer treatment, plotting her progress on a graph and-ever the mathematician-challenged the doctor's calculation techniques along the way. He was an extraordinarily engaged father, hero and best friend to his daughters, Robin and Pam. A loving daddy when the girls were young, a great giver of advice later on - it was in the selfless rites of fatherhood that Bill once again excelled, imparting a love of nature, intellectual curiosity, fairness, hard work, frugality, and gratitude. While it would be impossible to catalogue all the ways he supported his family, at heart he modeled a quiet but powerful belief, that any pursuit was possible, and that they were capable of achieving it.

That belief played out in a life rich with shared experiences. Family adventures included raising bees, chickens, and bunnies, spontaneous trips to the family farm, sailing weekends on Lake Lanier, annual Daytona trips, a whirlwind European tour, and three unforgettable sailing charters in the Virgin Islands. These adventures-alongside the milestones of births, birthdays, graduations, weddings, and grandchildren-formed the heart of his family life.

Bill's kindness extended well beyond his own household. He was a thoughtful and generous neighbor, who could be counted on to change lightbulbs, remove bees from walls, and perform virtually any handyman task in between. He was quick to share knowledge or quietly lend support-never seeking attention, but deeply valued by those around him.

Bill is survived by his wife, Bonnie Walker; his daughters, Robin Rothfuss and Pam Hubbard; Robin's husband, Karl Rothfuss; Pam's husband, Jim Hubbard; and his beloved grandchildren, Alex, Max and Kate Rothfuss and Walker and William Hubbard. He is also survived and remembered fondly by extended family, lifelong friends, and neighbors whose lives were touched by his generosity, thoughtfulness, and steady willingness to help. Bill was preceded in death by his grandmother, Ellen May Allen; his parents, Frances Allen Walker and William Rufus Walker, Jr.; his brother, Lewis DeWitt Walker; and his sister, Eva Mae Stailey.

If you wish to honor Bill's memory with a donation that recognizes his love of nature and lifelong curiosity about the world, the family suggests considering organizations that support wildlife habitat and conservation in Florida such as the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida, the Florida Wildlife Federation, or Forgotten Wild.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later time.