LaVerne Douglas Walker of Plano, Texas passed away on February 21, 2018 at the age of 93. He was born on August 7, 1924 to James Luther and Bessie Frances (Douglas) Walker in Province, Oklahoma. He married Donna Rae Boyd on January 1, 1953 in Baytown, Texas.
Doug proudly served his country in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. He was a Ball Turret Gunner on a B-17 Flying Fortress named Forever Amber. When his plane was shot down over Germany by a German ME-262 jet, Doug parachuted 7 miles west of the Elbe River. After eluding German soldiers for 2 days, he was taken to Stalag XI-A, a German prison camp and later liberated by the United States Army. Doug flew 22 missions over Europe and was a Purple Heart recipient. After his military service, he moved to Baytown, Texas where he married and raised a family. He retired from the Baytown Exxon Refinery in 1986, but continued his very successful tax preparation business with his wife, Donna until 2008. Doug was a 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason and a member of the Cedar Bayou Lodge of Baytown.
Doug is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Donna Boyd Walker of Plano, Texas; daughter, LaRisa Walker Briles of Dallas, Texas; son, Mark Douglas Walker and wife, Abby, of Burleson, Texas; grandchildren, Micheal Douglas Briles and wife, Andrea, Lauren Briles Ranen and husband, Rick, Aaron Martin, Clara Martin, Cameron Martin, Reid Douglas Walker and wife, Paige, Andrea Walker Trice and husband, Bryan and Robert Walker; great-grandchildren, Lydia Briles, Colt Douglas Briles, Wesley Ranen, Vivienne Ranen and Colette Ranen; brother, William G. Rogers and wife, Pat; and numerous other loving family and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his daughter, Ronna Walker Martin; and his sister, Arjaree McBride.
A funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Monday, February 26, 2018 at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home Chapel, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, Texas. Full Military Honors will be rendered by the United States Air Force at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, February 27, 2018 at Dallas-Ft. Worth National Cemetery, 2000 Mountain Creek Parkway, Dallas, Texas 75211. The family will receive visitors prior to the service at the funeral home.