Orville Walker, Jr.

Madison formerly of the Twin Cities Mpls & St.Paul.

Orville C. Walker, Jr., age 72, died peacefully at University of Wisconsin Hospitals Monday, March 14, 2016. Orv was a resident of Madison for six years and of the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul for nearly 40 years. He was born to Orville C. and Jeannette Walker, Sr. in Cleveland, Ohio, April 17, 1943.

Orv received his BS in social psychology and MS in business from Ohio State, a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin Madison and was the Watkins Professor of Marketing at Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota until his retirement in 2002 when he was named Marketing Emeritus. His textbooks on Marketing Management and Marketing Strategy are in the eighth editions and are still used globally. His awards for research and article publications were numerous.

Orv was a voracious reader and an outstanding cook. He loved all things history and especially mysteries. He loved words, enjoyed making wine, but also cultivating grapes, traveling, and consuming music and movies. He possessed a wise and quick wit. His love of life was undaunted and infectious despite his ailing health.

Orville is survived by his wife of 21 years, Linda Keefe; children Amy (Scott) Dorenbush of Albertville, MN, Kristen (Brian) Phillips of Monona, WI, and their mother, Carolyn Hagen, John (Kristin) Keefe and Dylan (Aya) Keefe of Manhattan, NY; grandchildren Tre', Drew, Maura, Eva, Kaia, Natalie and Mateo; his mother Jeannette Walker and sister Shirley Williams of Wadsworth, OH. He was preceded in death by his father, O. C. Walker and his sister, Karen L. Walker.

Visitors are welcome at 11:00 am with a celebration of life at 12:00 pm Saturday, March 19, 2016 at Cress Center, 6021 University Ave. Madison, WI. There will also be a memorial get together from 4-6:00 PM on Monday, March 21, 2016, at Dixie's, 695 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, MN.

In honor of Orv's passions for cooking for his friends and love of the outdoors, memorials may be sent to Second Harvest Food Bank of Southern Wisconsin, Second Harvest Heartland Minnesota, and/or The West Wisconsin Land Trust, 500 East Main St., Menomonie, WI 54751 or www.wwlt.org .

Cress Center
6021 University Avenue
Madison, WI 53705
608-238-8406