Remembering David Walker, our anchor, colleague - and friend
Our KVAL anchor, colleague and friend David Walker died early Monday morning after a long illness. He was 67. His family says charitable contributions can be made in his memory to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
EUGENE, Ore. - Our KVAL anchor, colleague and friend David Walker died early Monday morning after a long illness. He was 67.
His family says charitable contributions can be made in his memory to theJuvenile Diabetes Research Foundationand the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
For more than 20 years, David provided a familiar face and voice to our viewers in Western Oregon.
As an anchor, he took us on Honor Flights to our nation's capital to salute the men and women who served our country in uniform.
He took us to the Oregon Capitol to question Oregon lawmakers on the key issues affecting all of us.
From the Can Do! and Take a Bite Out of Hunger food drives to KVAL's Pet Project Tail-A-Thon supporting shelter pets, David was out in the community to help - and to take a moment to share a good word with viewers and neighbors.
David also spent time each year as a play by play announcer for Oregon youth sports.
David's passing is a special loss to the Coos Bay community, where he had a long career in radio and TV before moving to Eugene.
He ledcoverage of the New Carissa shipwreck from the time the vessel hit the beach in February 1999 until salvage operations came to an end on the Oregon Coast in November 2008.
And in December 2010, David and his long-time collaborator, photojournalist Loren Ruark, were the first journalists to arrive on scene in Aumsville, Oregon, after a an EF-2 tornado tore a path 5 miles long and 150 yards wide through town.
REMEMBERING DAVID WALKER | Watch #LiveOnKVAL for more
David was a familiar face and voice to television and radio audiences throughout Western Oregon for more than a half century.
He joined KVAL as an anchor and reporter in 1999 after spending 10 years as News Director at KCBY, KVAL’s sister station in Coos Bay.
Before joining KCBY, David was a radio on-air personality and sports announcer in the Coos County area. He got his start in media as a teen, working at KBBR in Coquille.
David was active in the local community both professionally and personally. He served on numerous boards including the Bandon Rotary Club and Bay Area Chamber of Commerce.
"KVAL extends our deepest condolences to David’s wife Jane, his son Cameron, daughter Carly and the entire Walker family," the station said in a statement. "He will be greatly missed."
Former KVAL sports director Tom Ward joined us Tuesday to remember his coworker and friend.
