18 October 1962 – 2 October 2019
Andrew with Family
Andrew was born on 18 October 1962 to Alexander and Daphne Walker in Halstead, England. At a young age his family relocated to Peebles out in the rolling green hills of the Scottish Borders. He attended Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering with First-class honours in 1984. While he worked and studied hard at school, he always had time for fun; he enjoyed going out to the pub with his mates and also continued his lifelong love of games by co-founding and serving as president of the Games Club at the university.
He joined the engineering firm of Sir M. MacDonald & Partners and worked as an Engineer specialising in Dams. In 1985, Andrew grew restless and began to seek a change in his life. Following in the footsteps of his older brother David, Andrew applied to several graduate schools in the US and chose to attend Cornell University to pursue a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering. He always said that going to Cornell was one of the best decisions he ever made in his life, because that was where he met his wife, Mary. She was intrigued by his vast knowledge of military history, but yet also possessed a soft touch for Jane Austen novels.
After earning graduate degrees from Cornell, Andrew and Mary moved to Ontario, Canada in 1989 to start their careers. Andrew joined Golder Associates, a Consulting Engineering firm and enjoyed travelling to many countries on various projects. One of his favourite memories was sharing a meal with the President of Zanzibar. Andrew and Mary were married in Scotland in 1991, and were blessed with the arrival of their sons Morgan and Callum.
In 2001, Andrew decided to embrace a new challenge in his life by leaving Canada with his family and moving to Duvall, Washington, where a new opportunity opened up within Golder. He enjoyed living in the Pacific Northwest (it reminded him of Scotland), and the scenic beauty of the area was the perfect playground to raise 2 active boys, and he felt right at home. His new colleagues were very welcoming, and he felt lucky to be part of a great team.
Andrew was an amazing and supportive husband and father. He was kind and had a gentle heart. His children learned so much about how to be both a man and a good person just by watching him and his interactions with others. Despite working full time, he always tried his hardest to be present at all of his children’s activities. Whether it was coaching his boys’ soccer teams, cheering them on in baseball, soccer, and track meets, attending a piano recital or a birthday party, they could always count on him being there and bringing a smile to their faces. He also passed on a great deal of hobbies, interests, and other traits to his children. His love of gaming, soccer, sci-fi, history, and astronomy are shared by his sons. So were his scientific mind and inquisitive nature; it’s no coincidence that one of his sons is now an aerospace engineer, and the other is studying computer science and mathematics at university. Dad was always an inspiration growing up and his kids are proud to be following in his footsteps.
Andrew fought brain cancer bravely throughout the final years of his life, always remaining strong and maintaining his wry sense of humor and love for his family. He was able to visit his favorite vacation destination of Hawaii twice and spend some time out in the warm tropical sun. He was even able to return to his homeland in the United Kingdom and visit some of the people and places that were near and dear to him. He got to see one of his sons graduate high school and his other graduate from college. He never gave up hope, and was always looking forward to the next treatment until the very end.
Andrew passed away peacefully in his home on 2 October 2019. He is survived by his loving wife, Mary; sons, Morgan and Callum; brother David; sister-in-law Deborah and nephews, Jack and Peter.
A brief viewing and service will be held Monday, October 14, 2019 at 12:30pm at the Barton Family Chapel in Kirkland: 11630 Slater Ave NE #1A, Kirkland, WA 98034.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, or Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.
A Scot’s Farewell
When I come to the end of the road,
And the sun has set for me,
I want no tears in a gloom-filled room,
Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me a little but not for long,
And not with your head bowed low.
Remember the love that we once shared
Miss me … but let me go …
When you are lonely and sick of heart,
Go the friend we know,
And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds,
Miss me .. but let me go.– Source unknown