William (Bill) E. Walker, 84, of Park Rapids, MN, passed away peacefully on May 2nd, 2024, just the way he wanted it; in the home he built, surrounded by treasures collected over a lifetime, and with his dear wife nearby. Bill was born in Waukegan, IL to Don and Bebe Walker on September 6, 1939. Bill graduated from Grant High School in Long Lake, IL, in 1957. He was always proud of his years in high school and had made many life-long friendships from that time. Bill came from humble beginnings, raised in small town in Illinois. His father, Don Walker, had to drop out of school in the eighth grade to care for his siblings. His mother, Bebe Walker, immigrated from Norway at the age of seventeen. His parents impressed upon their three sons the importance of getting an education, and all three sons took that lesson to heart.