Carstell Artensa Walker, Jr, was born the second of five children to his parents, Carstel Artensa Walker, Sr. and Priscilla Bell Stinson-Walker, on the morning of March 1, 1938 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He died on March 31, 2025.
Services for Walker will be held on Friday, April 11 at his beloved Blueridge Methodist Church (2929 Reed Rd., Houston, 77051), with the viewing at 10 a.am. and service at 11 a.m.
Walker graduated from Cincinnati’s historic Withrow High School (1956) where he was a star baseball player and starting running back on the school’s 1955 High School Championship football team. Walker also participated in basketball, swimming, boxing, distance running, and bowling. He later added tennis and golf to his athletic resume.
Walker, a Boy Scout, accepted Christ as a teenager at St. Mark’s Methodist Episcopal Church where he sang in various choirs from youth to adulthood.
Walker passed on a football scholarship offer from Kentucky State University, choosing rather to join the U.S. Marine Corps. to prevent being drafted later. After serving, Walker took classes at the University of Cincinnati and Ohio State University.
In mid-July 1959, he met his wife-to-be, Norma Jean Hill, while she was a basketball cheerleader at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. The late Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth married them on July 14, 1962, at Revelation Baptist Church in Cincinnati.
Walker had an extensive and stellar working career, including stints at the Fisher Body Division of General Motors and United Parcel Service. From there, he received a promotion and transferred from Cincinnati to Columbus, Ohio, New Orleans, and eventually Houston (1974).
His family joined Blueridge United Methodist Church in May 1975. There, Walker served in countless capacities, including membership in multiple choirs, United Methodist Men, Boy Scout Committee, Trustee Chairman and 18 ½ years as Council on Ministries Chairman. Walker was also active with Windsor Little League Baseball, Westbury Steers Football and the Willowridge High School Athletic Booster Club
He was also a proud delegate at multiple state Democratic Conventions.
Walker, who was also an artist, writer and photographer, is survived by his son Alan “Aswad” Walker (Adrianne), daughter Pamela Walker (Ezra Thomas III), grandchildren MarQuita Elam, Biko Walker, Bria Fuller (Joe Campher), Maisha Walker, Anana Walker, Marshall Reynolds, Amari Walker and Matthew Simpson, great-grandchildren Noah Elam, Tori Elam, Sarai Martin, Zoeigh Elam and Mars Campher, and a host of other family and friends.
