Obituary of Wilbur John Walkoe, Jr.

Wilbur (Wil) John Walkoe, Jr., left what his dear friend Ken Hunter called the A. R.U., the Allegedly Real Universe, on February 13, 2022, at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, DC.  He was born on the actual Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1941, in Oak Park, Illinois, to Evelyn Stuut Walkoe and Wilbur John Walkoe.  On June 16, 1963, he received his Bachelor of Arts, Cum Lauda, from Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, Michigan.   On August 15, 1964, he received his Master of Arts, Mathematics, from The University of Wisconsin, Madison.  On January 25, 1969, he received his Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.  His work in symbolic logic is well cited even today.

He taught college math at what is now Grand Valley State University, Allendale, Michigan.  He was an active participant, organizing local efforts, in national Anti-War protests in D.C. during the Vietnam War.

Then he changed careers.  On May 17, 1981, he received his Master of Science, Industrial Engineering.  His work was in telecommunication in the Chicago area and the Kansas City area.   Together with Thomas J. J. Starr, Wil pioneered bringing broadband Internet to consumers in the form of ADSL His name is on several U.S. patents for the underlying ADSL technology. When Wil and his wife Rosa retired, they settled in Brookings, Oregon.  Later they moved to Washington, DC, to be closer to family.

Wil was predeceased by his and Rosa’s son Mark who was 2 months shy of his fifth birthday and died in 1975 in the crash of a plane as Americans were leaving Vietnam.

Wil is survived by his brother, Timothy K. Walkoe (partner Paula Byers) and friend Ani Durst.

Wil Walkoe is survived by Rosa (nee Schilling) Walkoe. They were married June 17, 1967, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Rockford, Illinois.  

Wil is survived by their three grown kids, Janet Dawn Kim Walkoe (Brian Zellmer), Peter (Pete) Nguyen Walkoe (Lindsey Walkoe) and John Wilbur Thanh Walkoe (Elena B. Pashukova).  

And Wil is survived by two grandchildren, Mae-Hee Rose Zellmer and Artur A. Pashukov.

 

Donations in Wil’s memory may be given to LOAVES AND FISHES, c/o St. Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church, 1525 Newton St. NW, Washington, DC 20010 or Holt International Children’s Services, P.O. Box 2880, Eugene, Oregon 97402-0375