John Walton, 1946 - 2005

I wish I had known more about John Walton's work while he was alive:

Nor did he simply write checks; he served on boards, he checked people out, he made calls, he asked probing questions—and he displayed plenty of grit and determination (as he had in Vietnam decades earlier) when it was necessary to make tough decisions, pull plugs, and reinvent things. He was also one of the least pretentious and kindest people you’d ever want to know. He drove himself hard—I once watched him pedal a bike up a mountainside in Colorado (as I cruised along the riverbank)—and relished physical as well as policy challenges. I cannot improve upon the words of Howard Fuller in a Monday-night email to friends: “John was one of the nicest people I have ever met. He was a staunch, unbending warrior in the battle for parental choice. I once asked John why he supported this movement. He said that poor children were getting a raw deal and he wanted to do something about it and he was in a position to do so. Here was a man who could have lived a life of leisure. Instead, he put his money, his intellect, and his energy into the effort to empower low income and working class families to be able to choose the best learning environment for their children. Because of him there are thousands of our children who have a better future. Because of him there is a movement out here that must honor his memory by working harder to advance our cause. I will never forget this kind and decent man. I thank God for allowing him to be in our midst.” Indeed. Rest in peace.

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