NEWS

Kenneth G. Walker passed away on Sunday, January 19, at the age of 97. Walker began working at Farmers & Merchants Bank (FMB) of Long Beach, California, when he was 11, at the request of his grandfather, Charles J. Walker, who founded the bank in 1907. He began as an elevator operator and groundskeeper at the Long Beach headquarters. It was about this time that he started playing polo, learning from his father.

He later studied finance and economics at the University of Southern California (Los Angeles, California) after serving in the U.S. Navy. Following his military service, Walker married Nancy MacMillan and returned to FMB as a teller in 1948, moonlighting as a machine shop operator after hours, while also working as a farmer in Arizona on the weekends.

In the ensuing years, he worked in almost every conceivable capacity at the bank, until becoming its Executive Vice President in 1965. He succeeded his father as President in 1979 and eventually became the Chief Executive Officer, a position he held for 29 years. Afterward, he remained involved in various key aspects of the business including oversight of investments, loans and personnel matters, well into his 80s.

Outside of work, Walker was a Long Beach advocate and humanitarian for over 60 years, actively serving on numerous committees and boards. Walker played polo throughout his teenage years with his father and older brother, starting at Valencia Polo Club in Garden Grove, California, and later at Riviera Polo Club and Will Rogers Polo Club, both in Pacific Palisades, California.

An avid athlete and adventurer, Walker continued to play polo in his adult years and went on to teach his sons to play. His greatest joy was playing with his family. One of his fondest memories was winning a game against the Conant family on Easter Sunday in 1969. A true family effort, he, his son Howard and his brother Dick played the six chukker match. Sharing the fourth position was Walker’s sons John and Dan and nephew Rick, each playing two chukkers.

Walker began playing at Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club (Carpinteria, California) in 1953. He occasionally ferried his family up the coast from Long Beach to Carpinteria in an 83-foot aviation rescue (AVR) boat, mooring it off Santa Claus Lane. From there, he rowed his wife and their two young sons, John and Howard, to shore to play polo. The family entertained other players on the boat as well.

Walker maintained a string of over a dozen ponies. As his family grew, with two more sons, Dan and Henry, and a daughter, Anne, the need for more horses did too. Eventually, Walker acquired a stallion, King’s Fare, and began breeding polo ponies to mount the family.

In 1976, Walker, along with two club members, helped save Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club from financial ruin. He purchased Field 1 out of receivership from Wells Fargo Bank alongside parcels of contiguous land for improvements. After finishing a failed condo development and building equestrian, tennis and pool facilities by 1979, the family deeded the property back to the club. Years later, they loaned the club money to purchase needed equipment.

Walker was predeceased by his wife of 60 years, Nancy, and son Howard. He is survived by his sons John (Kelli), Daniel (Linda) and Henry (Erin); daughter Anne Nicholson (Randy); 11 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren.