Rachel (Brady) Walker

On October 26, 2022, Rachel Brady Walker, 79, of Monroe, NC, heard her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, lovingly say to her “Well done good and faithful servant.” She had many roles: wife, mother, Nana, sister, spunky prayer warrior, teacher — and yet her overarching role was that of a Christian encourager. From the time she placed her faith in Christ for salvation at a young age, Rachel consistently witnessed for Him, sharing her testimony with everyone she could. Even so, she never coerced or cornered anybody. She invited people to know Christ. She demonstrated by sterling example and with contagious enthusiasm that nothing is more fulfilling than loving God and living a life of devotion to Him. 

Rachel was born on March 6, 1943 in Gaston County to the late Carl D. Brady and Lola S. Brady. Rachel knew as early as her fifth-grade year that she wanted to be a teacher. She fulfilled that dream, teaching English at the College of the Albemarle from 1964 to 1966 and at Wingate University from 1967 to 2008. While Rachel loved her career and her students, she loved her husband and family even more. She met the love of her life, James R. Walker, — Jim — in high school and married him when she was 18 years old.

In December of 2021, Rachel and Jim celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary. Through the years, their lives were marked by their service to others. Together they were youth directors at Mill Creek Baptist Church, members of the Jaycees and Jaycettes, and members of the Unionville Lions Club. Their love of travel took them to over 41 states and 20 countries.

Amazingly, as busy as she was, Rachel found even more ways to serve people in her own local area. She started a Vacation Bible School for special needs children in Union County. She wrote newsletters for the NC Lions Foundation District E and the Union Baptist Association. She was a hospice volunteer for three years, and she worked with visually impaired people for over 25 years.

For some time, Rachel had numerous health concerns; but she never let them keep her from celebrating life; nor did she ever allow circumstances to hinder her from encouraging others to do the same. She always said. “Life is a celebration waiting for someone to light the candle!” Consistently and faithfully, she shared her happy heart with her family and friends, teaching them always to enjoy God’s blessings, the most precious of which, apart from Jesus Christ, is life itself.

Rachel was predeceased by her parents. She is survived by her husband, James R. Walker; daughter, Melanie Walker Tripp (Dennis); son, James Robert Walker, Jr. (Beth) — all of Monroe, NC; grandchildren, Cameron James Tripp of New York City, Caroline Rachel Tripp of Tampa, Florida, and James R Walker, III of Monroe, NC. Rachel also is survived by her sisters, Pat Rankin and Mickie Brady of Gaston County; and many nieces, nephews, and friends she called family.

A celebration-of-life service for Rachel will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 29, at First Baptist Church of Indian Trail in Indian Trail, North Carolina, where the Walkers have been active members for nearly twenty years.

The family will receive friends after the celebration.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to:

Wingate University: www.givecampus.com/campaigns/31210/donations

First Baptist Church Indian Trail: https://ppay.co/ejEWqTxW2Mc

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Rachel (Brady) Walker, please visit our floral store.