Lt. Col. Ronald Lee Walker, USAF, Retired, age 85, born July 27, 1938, passed away November 14, 2023.

Ronald was born and raised in Fairfield, Ill., where he graduated from Fairfield High School. He married Elizabeth, nee Sharretts, Walker on July 15, 1961 in her hometown of Brownsville, Texas. He attended SIU-Carbondale, and graduated from Omaha University.

Ron joined the US Air Force in 1960. After Officer Training, his first assignment was as a Radar Intercept Officer on the F-89 Scorpion. He then flew the F-101 Voodoo, which included deployment during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Later he trained as an Air Force fighter pilot and flew over 200 combat missions in Vietnam in the F-102 Delta Dagger and F-4 Phantom. His final flying assignments were as Instructor Pilot in the T-37 and T-38 and Commander of the 475th Weapons Evaluation Group at Holloman AFB, N.M.. His many awards and decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with two silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, and the Vietnam Service Medal with four bronze service stars. After his Air Force retirement in June 1985, he flew as a commercial pilot with regional airlines, TWA, and American Airlines.

He was a collector of antique cars and enjoyed attending area car shows with his '71 Cadillac Coupe DeVille. He was a loving husband and devoted father and Papa.

Lt. Col. Walker is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, of O'Fallon; daughter Pamela Schulter of O'Fallon; son Jesse (Rebecca) Walker of Leesburg, Va.; daughter-in-law Stacey Hawkins of O'Fallon; grandchildren William Thomas (Rhegis) Morris, Ashley Lynn Walker, Joseph Brooks Walker, Michael Thomas Walker; great-grandchildren William Walker Morris and Elizabeth Lorraine Morris; and his brother William Hendrickson.

He was preceded in death by his son, Carl Walker; parents Neal and Florence, nee Molt, Walker; sister Marilyn Vilasin; and sister-in-law Judith Hendrickson.

A photo tribute and online guestbook are available at www.wfh-ofallon.com. Memorial donations are suggested to the Disabled American Veterans at https://www.dav.org/

Visitation will begin at 6:00 pm, Sunday, November 19, 2023, followed by a funeral service at 7 pm, at Wolfersberger Funeral Home, O'Fallon, Ill.

Procession will depart Wolfersberger Funeral Home at 9:45 am, Monday, November 20, 2023 for burial with military honors at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, St. Louis, Mo.