Rita Walker Obituary

Walker
Rita Kay
Walker
October 9, 1941
June 28, 2025

Rita was born Rita Sutter at Wesley Hospital in Wichita Kansas on October 9, 1941. She left us to go be with the Lord on June 28, 2025 at age 83.
Rita grew up in Wichita where she attended College Hill Elementary School, Roosevelt Jr. High, and East High School. She and Don Walker, who would later become her husband, first met in the 7th grade at Roosevelt.
Rita spent her summers on the family cattle ranch in Oklahoma. She learned to fly the family plane, but never did her cross country because she was somewhat geographically challenged and her mother feared she would not find her way back to the airport! She rode horses on the ranch from the time she was 3 and was a beautiful rider. In her later years she often drove from Colorado to the Ranch to participate in roundups, help the ranch hands brand and vaccinate calves and have the opportunity to ride her horse herding cattle.
Rita started college at Kansas State University, but transferred to the University of Oklahoma in 1961 for her junior year where Don was already a student. Rita and Don started dating at the University of Oklahoma and were married during Christmas break their senior year in December of 1962. She diverted from an academic curriculum to take secretarial science courses so she would be able to help with their finances when Don went to law school. When she moved with Don to Cambridge for law school, she found employment at the Woolworth Company regional executive offices and retained that position for the 3 years Don was in law school.
Later, she returned to college and earned a degree in Philosophy at the University of Colorado. She was active in the Colorado Springs community, including leading a Junior League program called Citizens Goals which assembled community leaders to develop a plan for the community and starting a leadership program for young men and women new to the community which continues to this day.
Rita was an athlete. At OU, she was quarterback of her sorority flag football team. In Colorado she skied in the winter and played tennis and golf in the summer. Later, for 13 years she and Don had a winter place in Tucson and she played golf all winter there. She hunted quail and doves in the Fall with Don at the ranch. In 1990, Don and Rita moved to Castle Pines Village where Rita played the Castle Pines Golf Club course regularly with a group of other members' wives.
Rita was under hospice care in her memory care apartment at Mackenzie Place in Colorado Springs during the final days of her life and died very peacefully with family at her bedside. Rita had acknowledged Christ as her Lord and Savior and adopted the Christian faith many years ago so her family is comforted by the knowledge that she is now with the Lord in Heaven.
Rita is survived by Don, two sons, Robert who lives in Boulder, and Michael who lives in Glens Falls New York, and three granddaughters, Taylor Walker, Morgan Walker and Carly Walker. There will be a private graveside service for Rita at the New Home Cemetery in Nash Oklahoma where Don's parents are buried.
The family requests that gifts in Rita's memory be made to the University of Oklahoma Foundation designated for the "Walker Family Alzheimer's Disease Research Fund", fund number 0051359, which will be used by the University to support its efforts to establish an Alzheimer's Disease Research Center within the Department of Neurology at the College of Medicine. Checks should be mailed to OU Office of Advancement, c/o Taylor Lingle, Suite 162, 1105 N Stonewall Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73117.