Brenda Kaye Walker, 62, passed away on Jan. 25, 2021, at home, after a courageous battle against brain cancer.
Brenda was born Feb. 24, 1958, in Union, and grew up in Hinton. She earned a National Honor Society scholarship to attend West Virginia University in Morgantown, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in journalism, Magna Cum Laude in 1980 and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the WVU College of Law in 1983. She was passionate about and committed to the journey of lifelong learning and shared her love of learning with the many lives she touched.
After college, Brenda worked as an attorney for the U.S. Treasury, Bureau of Public Debt going into private practice a few years later while serving as general counsel/business manager for Garrett County Orthopedics in Oakland, Md., and was a visiting assistant professor at the WVU College of Agriculture and Forestry from January 1988-December 1999. In 2000, Brenda’s career goals brought her back to Morgantown, where she served as the director of planned giving and major gifts for the WVU School of Medicine; assistant dean for development and alumni relations for the WVU College of Law; planned/major gifts officer for the Community Visions Foundation; and director of development for the WVU College of Business and Economics. She also consulted part-time with the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center to strategize funding sources for the West Virginia Center for End-of-Life Care. In 2012, Brenda and her partner decided to pack up life in Morgantown and move to Huntsville, Ala., to spend quality time with her mother and stepfather, and she worked as the assistant vice president for development at the University of Alabama at Huntsville until her cancer diagnosis precipitated her unplanned retirement.
Brenda did not have any children but was a special aunt to many and the best mommy to her beloved horse, Lil R., Henry the corgi and Willy the dachshund. She is also survived by her life partner, Cindy Barnett; mother, Sue (Brown) Lewis; sisters, Sherri Walker and Terri Walker; and a brother, Leon Walker. She was predeceased by her father, Charles Walker; aunt, Ruth Brown; and stepfather, Don Lewis.
Brenda traveled the world seeking adventure and making countless new friends. She loved the outdoors and was an avid bird watcher and bonsai enthusiast. Her zest for life was evident even in the waning days of her passing, laughing and joking with a smile that lit up the space she occupied and those around her. She loved preparing for and competing in dressage and show jumping, attending horse shows and even when she could no longer ride, she continued their groundwork with her Riverman “Lil R.” baby. If she were here to speak to us today, she would remind us to live life to the fullest each day, commit to learning something new again and again, read a lot, laugh every day, please be kind to animals and Let’s Go … Mountaineers.
As Brenda requested, there will be no formal arrangement after cremation and a celebration of life is being planned for the near future. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Brain Tumor Association, Humane Society of the United States, National Audubon Society or a charity of your choice.
Condolences:
https://www.tributes.com/obituary/guestbook/Brenda-Kaye-Walker-108508130
