MILLBROOK – Mary Lou Walker, 91, a resident of Millbrook New York, died peacefully on June 6, 2019 after a brief illness.
Mary Lou was born in Los Angeles, California on February 23, 1928, the daughter of Clyde Walker and Martha Sorgenfrei Walker. She is predeceased by her brothers Henry and Jack, and her daughter Jane, as well as husbands Richard Calkins and Michael Fiore.
Mary Lou is survived by three sons and daughters-in-law, Tom and Julie Calkins, Matthew and Mary Calkins, and Anthony and Susan Calkins, as well as her grandchildren, Katie, Sam, Ben, Elias, Max and Alex.
As a child, Mary Lou was part of the ensemble cast of Our Gang—you can watch her dance with Alfalfa in “Arbor Day.” She went on to graduate from Manual Arts H.S, Los Angeles, attended Centre College, Kentucky, and graduated from the University of Southern California in 1950. She earned a Masters of Arts in Education from Manhattanville in 1971.
Mary Lou taught history and social studies in Alexander Hamilton High School in Elmsford, New York for 24 years, and was named a New York State Teacher of the Year in 1986. She retired in 1995 and went on to a second career as a docent and guide at Kykuit, the Rockefeller Estate, in Pocantico Hills, New York, working until her recent move to Millbrook in 2015.
Mary Lou was a gifted conversationalist and authored a book on the subject, Speak Easy: Mary Lou’s Rules for Engaging Conversation, published 2010. Mary Lou traveled extensively and was culturally engaged throughout her life. Her friendship and family circle was wide and diverse. She was loving, wise and witty, and will be deeply missed.
Funeral services will be held on June 22 at 11 am at Grace Episcopal Church, Millbrook.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Grace Church, Millbrook, or the American Cancer Society.
