When Darrell Melvin Walker entered the world at Alzada, MT, he was the first of four sons born to Glenn O. and Vera R. Walker. He grew up on a sheep ranch at Alzada and attended the Five Mile one-room school. He graduated from Powder River County High School at Broadus, MT, in 1952.

In July 1955, he married Rieta Arbuckle; they were married for 66 years. Their two daughters are Wendy Noomah and Janiece West. In February 1963, the family moved to Alaska towing an 8’ x 45’ house trailer. After the Great Earthquake in 1964, Darrell helped raise Land’s End Resort so it would be safe from the higher tides caused by the sinking of the Homer Spit. Later that year, Darrell became a commercial fisherman beginning as a deckhand on a king crab boat. His last commercial fishing venture was drift gill netting in Cook Inlet in 2014, a career he’d begun in 1967.

Darrell was proud to have worked in industries, ranching, farming, timber, mining and commercial fishing, that produce materials to provide food, shelter and clothing for people. He had also worked as a lineman doing telephone line construction and was a skilled left-handed mechanic, net mender and jack of all trades.

Darrell enjoyed hunting from the time that he got his first deer at about age 12 and provided meat for his family for decades. He loved berry picking and would pick until all the buckets were full, all the berries were picked, or it got too dark to see them. In his later years, he gardened and kept a greenhouse. Darrell played accordion and keyboard by ear until Mary Epperson taught him to read music late in life. He volunteered as a dog walker at the Homer Animal Shelter where he met and adopted Keela, a Great Dane mix, that fulfilled his desire for a big dog. He took great satisfaction from being a volunteer visitor with Hospice of Homer.

Darrell was preceded in death by his parents and his brothers Norton, Gordon and Delbert.

He is survived by his wife and their daughters; their husbands Bill Noomah and Daniel West; their children Clara, Theo (Emily), and Jonas Noomah, Kayzia West and Ori Tanner as well as his half sister Glenda Sauer; his cousin Wayne Murphy who was as close as a brother, and nephews and nieces.

A service will not be held at this time. Memorial Gifts may be made to Hospice of Homer, 265 E Pioneer Ave, Suite 3, Homer, AK 99603 or any hospice.

Cremation by Peninsula Memorial Chapel & Crematory. Please share memories or condolences at www.alaskafuneral.com.