Rev. Dr. Carlton Keith Walker

The Reverend Dr. Carlton Keith Walker, 87, died on July 31, 2025, in Dover, Delaware, after a courageous battle against metastatic cancer. He was surrounded by his beloved wife of 64 years, Gay (Waters) Walker and family. He will be remembered for his life of humble servant leadership, his wide smile and enthusiasm, and his love for his family and the New York Yankees. 

Carlton was born November 9, 1937, in Wilmington DE to Kenneth and Anna Walker, the oldest of 3 sons, and graduated from Mt. Pleasant High School in Wilmington, DE, in 1955. Growing up, he spent every summer working on his uncle’s dairy farm in Burnt Hills, NY. He graduated from Wheaton College (IL) in 1959 with a BA in Philosophy. 

One Friday evening at Wheaton, Carlton and his date went together to a football game with Gay Waters and her date. Carlton’s date lost a contact lens, and while the four were down on their hands and knees looking for it, Carlton noticed that Gay was very nice and decided to ask her on a date. The rest is 64 years of history, two sons, and four grandchildren. They married in 1961 after her graduation, and then Carlton completed his Master of Divinity Degree from Pittsburgh (PA) Theological Seminary in 1962.  

He served as Assistant Pastor at the First Presbyterian Church of Monongahela, PA, from 1962-65, then moved to Schenectady, NY, to become Pastor of Carman Presbyterian Church and then Christ Community Church.  In 2000, he became the first Regional Pastor of the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference, serving the Northeast. He pursued and completed his Doctor of Ministry degree at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 2006, focused on revivals and reforms. 

During his forty-two years of ministry, Carlton served as Executive Director of the Hudson-Mohawk Evangelical Fellowship, Director of the Albany Bible Institute, and teacher of the sophomore Bible class of the Pineview Christian Academy in Albany, NY.  He recorded the “Word Alive” five-minute radio spots every weekday from 1990-2000. 

After retirement, he and Gay moved to Camden, DE, where he served for 7 years on the executive board of the Barclay Farms Homeowners Association, which successfully lobbied for changes in laws regarding ground rent in Delaware. He and Gay joined Grace Church in Dover, where he taught Sunday School classes and small group studies for seniors and preached occasional sermons. Carlton and Gay served for several years as leaders of the congregation’s ministry for those 55 and older that was aptly named “Young Hearts.” Beyond Dover, retirement gave them the opportunity to enjoy summer and fall at the family cabin in Washington County, NY.  They moved to Westminster Village in Dover in September 2024 and appreciate the care of the staff in the rehab and nursing units. 

Carlton loved trains, and he and Gay took several memorable Amtrak trips including across Canada and the United States and down the Pacific coast. A favorite story was when he and a friend traveled by Amtrak to Chicago and were invited to ride in the engine. After each getting a chance to drive the train for 15 minutes, the automatic speed sensor went off and the train shut down, sending them back to their seats.  Carlton kept in touch with the engineer for years afterwards and turned his attention to model trains. He was still building his final train layout until shortly before his death. 

Most of all, Carlton loved his family and took them camping all over the Northeast. He loved to introduce his sons and grandchildren to American history and historical sites, and he and Gay hosted grandparent camps that provide great memories. 

Carlton is survived by his dear wife Gay Walker and sons Mark (Leslie) Walker of Shaker Heights, OH, and Keith (Pam) Walker of Pasadena, MD.  He is also survived by his grandchildren Ben, Chris, Anna, and Kerri; his brothers Brent (Nancy) Walker of Willits, CA, and Paul (Dale Dusman) Walker of Baltimore, MD, and Cambridge, NY, and five nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents. 

A funeral service will be held at Grace Church Dover on August 9 at 12 PM (visitation at 11 AM), officiated by Dr. Jonathan Seda. Burial will be at Sweetman Cemetery in Ballston Spa, NY, on August 12. In lieu of flowers, Carlton requested that donations be made to Hope Academy of the Bronx (bhof.org), a small urban Christian school in New York City which Carlton and Gay have supported for many years. This link Hope Academy has a memo line to write “in memory of Carlton Walker,” or checks can be sent to Hope Academy, 2206 Andrews Ave N, Bronx NY, 10453, with “in memory of Carlton Walker” on the memo line. 

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