James "Jim" Walker

James "Jim" Walker, 95, of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, passed away peacefully at his home on March 15, 2026. Born on October 11, 1930, in Providence, Kentucky, to the late Albert Ray and Ona Pearl (Davidson) Walker, Jim was a lifelong member of First United Methodist Church.

After serving in the United States Air Force from 1950 to 1954 as a Staff Sergeant, Jim earned a B.S. in Biology from Western Kentucky University in 1958 and an M.A. in 1962. He began his career teaching chemistry and coaching basketball and baseball at Alvaton High School. In 1963, he became a special agent with the FBI, serving in Kansas City, New York, and Washington, D.C. He then transitioned to healthcare, holding leadership roles at Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, Indiana, and helping to establish the Pennyroyal Mental Health Center in Hopkinsville. In 1970, he joined Jennie Stuart Medical Center as Assistant Administrator and served as CEO from 1974 until his retirement in 1994. During his tenure, he guided the hospital through a major three-phase modernization that expanded critical services and added the Wallace Medical Arts Building and E.C. Green Cancer Center.

Jim remained deeply involved in his community as a member of the Hopkinsville Kiwanis Club and Masonic Lodge #73, a founding member and longtime secretary of Western Hills Golf Course, an original contributor to University Heights Academy, and a board member of the Hopkinsville Welfare Association. He also served as president of the Western Kentucky Hospital Association, on the board of the Kentucky Hospital Association, and as board chair of the Pennyrile Area Health Education System.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Debbie Crawford Walker, his parents, his sisters Catherine Hearin, Jewel Poole, Ruth Grimm, and Betty Ann Tems, and his brothers Dennis, J.K., and Don Walker. Jim is survived by his wife, Anita Cartwright Walker; his son, Eric (Drue) Walker of Bowling Green, Kentucky; his granddaughters, Lauren Walker (Logan) Green of Nashville, Tennessee, Hannah Walker of Covington, Kentucky, and Catherine Walker of Lexington, Kentucky; his great-grandsons, Walker Green and Stetson Green; and many nieces and nephews.

Jim will be remembered for his deep love and devotion to God, his family, and his friends. A great listener and natural mentor, he was always ready to coach and support others in becoming their best selves, finding genuine joy in their successes. He cherished coaching church basketball, fishing, watching WKU and UK basketball, and golfing with his longtime friends.