Vinie Dean Walker

Mrs. Vinie Dean Walker – Obituary – August 29, 2023

Mrs. Vinie Dean Walker gracefully passed away at home on Tuesday, August 29, 2023. She was 96 years old.  Born in 1927, she was the oldest child of the late Joseph H. Dean, Sr. and Essie Ward Dean Law. She was nurtured, loved and reared by her father and beloved stepmother, the late Mrs. Alice Blount Dean and grew up with her brother, the late Joseph H. Dean, Jr.

Mrs. Walker traveled widely throughout the continental United States and Canada.  Her international exposure provided her with the opportunity to learn about various people and their cultures through visits to the Middle East, specifically Jerusalem and other parts of The Holy Land. Additional travel experiences included Paris, London, Austria, Amsterdam, Jamaica, Panama and the Virgin Islands.  She was a firm believer in the formal learning of higher education and worked very hard to complete a degree in Sociology at Sinclair College, Dayton, Ohio at the age of 89.  She made history at Sinclair College as being the oldest graduate since its establishment.  She instilled in her children from young ages that achieving higher education was not optional but a must for securing a successful future.

Earlier in her career, she gained licensure as a Cosmetologist and though her talents were many, she was an extremely accomplished beautician. Before retirement, she was the sole proprietor of 2 successful beauty salons over a 60-year period.  She was a former member of The Eastern Star and served as President of her local Parent Teacher’s Association.  She was an active member of Corinthian Baptist Church in Dayton, Ohio and served as a member of the choir. Mrs. Walker was proud to receive the distinctive honor of being selected by the National Council of Negro Women as a “Lady of the Eighties”.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Alice Dean; her brother, Joseph H. Dean, Jr.; and, former spouses: Mr. William Thomas Walton, Jr. and Mr. Lennist Walker and a beloved son-in-law, Mr. John Butler.

She leaves 4 children to cherish her memory: Janice Rucker (Theodore) of Dayton, Ohio; Paulette Mebane (Will) of Cape Cod, Massachusetts; Cora Etta Butler (the late John Butler) of Austin, Texas; William Thomas Walton, III (Roger) of Chicago, Illinois.  She also leaves 2 step-siblings: Mr. Calvin Law (Cindy) of Salt Lake City, Utah and Mrs. Rosalind Alake of Seattle, Washington.  Four grandchildren: her only granddaughter, Sarita Simmons (Aaron), and 3 grandsons: Dr. Karreem A. Mebane, Blair Walton Mebane and Dean John Baptiste Butler (Kristal); 3 Great-Grandsons: Jaaron Romero Simmons (Ronequa), Camaaron Jeffrey Louis Simmons and Hendrix Winston Butler; 1 Great-Great Granddaughter, Romera LeeAnn Simmons. A devoted friend Denise Cavers of Calumet City, Illinois, along with numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

Her loved ones will continue to honor her legacy by living their lives, as Mrs. Walker did, to the fullest.

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