Obituary of Jeanne M. Walker

WALKER - Jeanne M. (nee Ottney)

May 27, 2020. Beloved wife of the late Kenneth F. Walker; loving mother of

Timothy J. (late Pauline) and Thomas K. (late Diane A. Gaidry-) Walker;

cherished grandmother of Meagan (Matthew) Doxtad and Ian, Tess and

Isabella Walker; dear sister of Ann (late Albert) Burch, Donna (late Patrick)

Feller and the late Elmer (Jean) Ottney. The family will be present to receive friends

Thursday, July 9th from 4-8 PM at BEACH-TUYN FUNERAL HOME, INC., 5541 Main 

St. (at Cayuga Rd) Williamsville. Friends are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial

Friday morning, July 10th at 9:30 in SS Peter & Paul Church, Williamsville.

**Masks and social distancing required at the funeral home and church.**

Born on June 20, 1927, in Williamsville, New York. She passed away peacefully on May 27, 2020, in Williamsville,
where she lived the fullness of her life. She was 92 years old, about to turn 93.

The daughter of Elmer and Mildred Ottney (nee Lamm), Jeanne grew up in the Great Depression, first on Gordon
Street and then on Oakwood Drive in a house that her father built. The oldest of four children, Jeanne had two
sisters, Ann and Donna, and a brother Elmer.

She attended Saints Peter & Paul School and Neumann High School before going on to earn a teaching
degree at the State Teachers College at Buffalo, now Buffalo State.

After graduating, Jeanne began teaching at Academy Elementary School, then part of the Williamsville Central School
District, in 1948. When her uncle, Daniel Lamm, returned from serving in World War II, he brought with him a
friend, Kenneth Walker, and introduced him to his niece. The couple married in 1950.

Jeanne continued teaching until she took a leave of absence to start a family, welcoming her sons Timothy in
1953 and Thomas in 1954. She returned to Academy in 1958 and continued teaching until 1978.

Throughout her 25-year tenure at Academy, Jeanne taught grades one, three, special reading, and served as acting principal
for a period of time. She introduced the ITA (Initial Teaching Alphabet) reading program and was an active member of
the Williamsville Teacher and Parent-Teacher Associations. I

n 1976, Jeanne was part of the Academy Bicentennial Committee that contributed to a community-wide celebration. Jeanne’s
father, Elmer Ottney Sr., designed and built a scale model of the Village of Williamsville that was displayed at the school for the occasion.

Following her retirement, Jeanne enjoyed playing golf and bridge with many friends and traveling to see family in San
Francisco, New York City, Boston, and Merritt Island, Florida. She was a lifelong parishioner at Saints Peter
& Paul Church in Williamsville and an active member of Saint Ann’s Sodality.