Norman H. Walker, 97, husband of Joan Lovey Walker, formerly of Danville, KY, passed away Tuesday March 14, 2023 in Florida. Born in Detroit, MI, and raised in Muskegon, MI, he was the son of the late Robert George and Mary Eta Crowley Walker.

His military career began in 1942 at the age of 16, in the Prince of Wales Rangers, with the Canadian Army Reserves. In July, 1943, at the age of 17, he enlisted in the US Navy on a minority cruise, where his first assignment was with the US Navy Armed guard as a Gunner. His first ship was torpedoes and sunk by a Japanese submarine in 1944 where he spent many hours in the water and days in a lifeboat. His next ship was also torpedoed, but not sunk, by a German U-Boat. Upon returning to New York, his next tour of duty took him through the Pacific islands, to Okinawa by the end of WWII. After the war, Chief Walker served on sea duty in Europe. In 1948, he commissioned the submarine squadron, SUB Div Group II, with Capt. Roy Benson. In 1949, he was aboard the USS Tusk when the USS Cochino blew up and sank off of Norway. The Tusk went to the rescue and it was during that mission the he earned the Gold Life Saving Medal of Honor. This honor has only been issued 567 times in more than 200 years.

In civilian life, he served as Area Manager of Florida and the Caribbean for installation/technical services for Diebold, Inc., in Tampa Florida, where he opened their first Florida office in 1962. He oversaw eighteen branch offices and over three hundred employees, plus a twenty-eight person management team. He had received Diebold's "Area Manager of the year" award for six out of twelve years. Chief Walker was a member of NERA, VFW, DAV, and was the Executive Director of USS REQUIN Submarine Memorial in downtown Tampa. He worked with the SERVE program through Graham Elementary School in Tampa, Florida. He founded and served as Director of Sea Explorer Scouts group 481 in Tampa. He served on the Board of Trustees of the Unicorn Maritime Institute of Tampa Bay, Inc. and on the Boards of Wildlife Rescue, Inc., and Tampa Council Navy League.

In addition to his wife of 46 years, he is survived by many loving family and friends.

Visitation will be 5-8 PM Wednesday at Johnson's Funeral Home with friends and family sharing memories, beginning at 7 PM. Graveside services with Naval honors will be 1:30 PM Thursday at Camp Nelson National Cemetery.