Bob Walton

Bob has been recalled and will certainly miss his family and many friends. Born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware, he is from one of America’s most historic families. A direct descendent of Pelig Nichols, a pilgrim who arrived on the Mayflower from England (really), Isaac Walton (fisherman/philosopher), George Walton (Senator, Governor, member of the Continental Congress and youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence), Ezra Day (President of Cornell University) and Florence Walton (a world renowned ballerina who was married to Jack Dempsey). Bob’s mother was from one of the five founding families of the Eastern Shore of Virginia. She was the Chief Administrator for the Governor of Delaware at the time of her passing when Bob was 18 months old. Bob was raised by his maternal grandparents until the age of eight.

Age the at of 17, Bob went to sea to satisfy his curiosity about how the rest of the world lived, while working his way up from Mess Boy to Engineering Officer. Between traveling the world and reading an entire set of encyclopedias, he essentially became self educated. He did, later on, attend lecture discussion classes at the University of Washington, mostly about history from Melvin Rader and Geovanni Costigan. Bob met and married Carol Wakefield from Seattle who taught school on Mercer Island for thirty years. They had two great children – Eric (a world famous jazz musician), and Trisha (one of the best women Bob had ever known). Eric (aka “Skerik”) lives in Seattle and has a daughter, Ko Ko. Trisha lives in Bellingham and has two children – Beck & Maren. Bob and Carol moved to Mercer Island, where she taught, in 1960.

Bob volunteered for many causes on the Island and was lastly involved with the Friends of the Library and M.I. Historical Society. He coached Eric & Trisha in soccer, basketball and baseball. He also played men’s slow pitch for twenty years.

Bob founded Maritime Recruiters in 1970, recruited world wide and loved what he did. He never retired. He had a lifetime love of the sea and ships. He was a member of The Propeller Club, Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, and The Society of Port Engineers. He designed his logo that he said was the first company in the US to use blue and green together. His logo is registered nationally and is recognized the world over by maritime companies. Bob was an avid reader, loved to hike and bike, was a season ticker holder to the Seattle Symphony and Village Theatre. He loved classical and jazz and often wished he was a better dancer like his semi-professional father and sister. He enjoyed giving olive oil and books to his many friends. One was good for your body and the other good for your mind. Though divorced, Bob and Carol remained friends and exchanged books. A chance encounter at the Mercer Island post office with June Milliard, a local dental hygienist, sparked an eleven-year relationship and current engagement. As a remembrance, Bob would suggest giving a book to a friend (Island Books, of course). He will miss you all and hopes you will remember him as a good guy.