Dr. Ernest Walker MD
(August 24, 1943 - June 11, 2010)

Dr. Ernest M. "Ernie" Walker, Jr, MD., Ph. D, 66, of Huntington, husband of Dr. Sandra McCullough Walker, Ed. E, passed away Friday, June 11, 2010, at his residence. Dr. Walker was born August 24, 1943, in Roseboro, NC, a son of Mildred Howard Walker, of Buies Creek, NC and the late Ernest Marshall Walker, Sr. He graduated from Campbell College (A. A. 1962), University of North Carolina (B.A. 1964; M.S., 1967), Medical University of South Carolina (Ph. D., 1967: M.D., 1974; residency in Clinical Anatomical Pathology, 1967) Dr. Walker devoted his career to academic medicine, serving on the faculties of the Medical University of South Carolina and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences before joining the faculty of the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine in 1992. At Marshall, he was a professor of pathology, serving more than 5 years as the chairman of the Department of Pathology. In addition to providing clinical services, teaching and mentoring, he was active in research on heavy metal toxicity and iron overload. He developed a patented approach to treating iron overload using acetaminophen, and was the author of eight chapters in medical texts and more that 250 peer-reviewed scientific articles. He served on Marshall's faculty Senate and was a member of the university's Cell Differentiation Development Center. Dr. Walker was a member of several professional societies in pathology and clinical sciences including the College of American Pathologists and the American, Association for Clinical Chemistry. He was a past president of the American Association for Clinical Scientists, a member of its Scientific Council, and vice-chair of its Therapeutics and Toxicology Section. He was honored as the association's Clinical Scientist of the year in 1991. He also belonged to the Medical honorary Alpha Omega Alpha and the collegiate honor society Phi Kappa Phi. He was a member of the Fifth Avenue Baptist Church. Additional survivors include a daughter and son-in-law; Laura (Captain Steven Vance)Walker Thompson of Raleigh, NC and a son; Ernest Marshall Walker, III, of Buies Creek, NC;
2 grandchildren; Heather LeAnn Thompson and Emily Lauren Thompson. Memorial services will be held at 7:00 pm Tuesday June 15, 2010 at Chapman's Mortuary, Huntington, WV. Friends may visit with the family from 5pm until 7pm Tuesday. June 15, 2010, at Chapman's Mortuary. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to The Marshall University School of Medicine or the Fifth Avenue Baptist Church.