Obituary of Joseph Charles Walck

Joseph Charles Walck passed in peace, May 18, 2018, at the wonderful age of 85 in his daughter's home in Mineral Wells. 

Service: 1 p.m. Saturday, June 16, at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Mineral Wells, 800 SE 25th Ave, Mineral Wells, TX 76067.

Interment: Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery, 2000 Mountain Creek Pkwy, Dallas, TX 75211, at a later date. 

Born July 16, 1932, in East Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania, to Nora (Heydt) Walck, Joe was the youngest of 10. He is preceded in death by all of his siblings; sisters, Bertha Shreeve, Beulah (Harvey) Melber, Dortha Walck, Iva (Horace) Berger, Florence (Bud) Meckes, Emma Dotter, Margaret (Robert) Hendricks, and brothers Edward Walck and Richard Walck. 

As a young boy, Joe enjoyed the outdoors and spent many hours either hiking through the woods and swimming in the chilly lakes and streams near his home, or swinging a bat and hitting balls with his friends until the late hours. Joe graduated from East Mauch Chunk High School and was a part of the undefeated Mountain League Baseball Championship team in 1948. He carried those happy memories with him throughout life. As an adult, Joe continued the camaraderie of team sport and played with multiple baseball and basketball organizations before transitioning to umpiring for 30 years. In 1998, Joe had the honor of being inducted into the Jim Thorpe Area Sports Hall of Fame. 

Joe retired from the United States Air Force, and while on active duty was stationed in Japan, Tripoli, and Alaska, in addition to serving two tours of duty in Vietnam as a communications specialist. 

As a young father, Joe was always missed as his frequent tours of duty took him away, but when returning home, he would religiously take his daughters on long, early morning marathon walks and round everyone up for fishing trips on Lake Texoma or camping out under the stars. Sunday mornings were always spent at church and, in those early years, he had quite a time trying to quiet three rambunctious daughters sitting on the pew beside him. The most special days then involved a tripleheader – church and Sunday school, followed up by lunch at Piccadilly's, and then topped off with an afternoon at Funland Amusement Park. Joe will be remembered as an inspired athlete, an incredible cook preparing wonderful Pennsylvania Dutch fare (always with a twist of his own), and as a world traveler with a keen sense of adventure. 

Even though their union did not survive, Joe was married to Shirley (Law) Bradberry for 18 years and is survived by their three daughters, Noreene (Daryl) Rollings of Mineral Wells, Nancy (Mark) Richmond of Scottsdale, Arizona, and Nikkie Roy of Wichita Falls; seven grandchildren, Cyle, Dustin, Heath, William, Cayleene, Sonnet and Skye; and six great-grandchildren, Chevy, Alexis, Carrie, CJ (Cyle Joseph), Keegan, and Elizabeth. Joe is also survived by countless nieces and nephews, and many loved friends.