WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH — Entrepreneur and beloved member of the Wrightsville Beach community Kevin George Walker lost his courageous battle with prostate cancer on May 24th, 2022, at the age of 66 surrounded by his loving family.
There will be a brief ocean side service at The Surf Club on 1 Mallard Street on Sunday, June 5th at 6:00 a.m. led by Senior Paster Mike Ashcraft from Port City Community Church followed by a 6:30 a.m. ocean paddle out from the Surf Club beach. Brunch will follow at 1 p.m. at Dockside Restaurant, Airlie Road. All are welcome. Parking is provided at the private Surf Club lot, please put a note in the car windshield that says “Walker”.
Kevin is survived by his devoted wife and companion of the past nine years Tina Ablang Walker, daughter Charlotte Walker; sister Dina Joy Walker; nephew Shane Walker, his wife Shannon, son David, daughters Marissa and Gianna; nephew Christopher Findley, sons Cash and Caleb; and special sons Brian and Tyler Reeves. He is preceded in death by his parents U. S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Joe George Walker, Jr. and Barbara Jane Bartholomew; his brother Christopher Walker; and sister Lisa Walker.
Born into a military family in Craven County, North Carolina, Walker was a long-time resident of Wrightsville Beach, his home since 1973. His was a true entrepreneurial story. A graduate of UNCW, where he studied Marine Biology. While in school he worked at the local Pizza Hut on Banks Channel and soon after gained employment at Atlantic Diving & Demolition where he met Mike McCarley who would become his business partner of 48 years and best friend.
Kevin and Mike were captivated by the marine construction and together took over the company in 1978. The following year, they purchased a dive shop on Causeway Drive, Undersea Sales and Engineering where they operated local dives off the coast. Their burgeoning commercial marine construction business took them around the United States and all over the world. They wore commercial diving suits and would be submerged for hours at a time, welding bridges and other underwater work in sometimes freezing water and zero visibility.
Their business took a huge upturn when Hurricane Hugo barreled ashore the southeastern United States in 1989. Kevin and Mike were quick to respond helping rebuild bridges that were destroyed in the storm up and down the coast. They began to invest in property and ventured into the shipping business opening a private port in 2003, Carolina Marine Terminal which they sold in May 2020.
In the early 1980s, Atlantic Diving and Marine Contractors prepared and sunk two tugboats, the Socony 8 and the Stone Brothers, three miles off Wrightsville beach that provided Artificial Reef sites for the N.C. Department of Marine Fisheries. In 1998 they began working on the Shell Island Dune reconstruction project and when Hurricane Floyd hit in 1999, they were instrumental in the move to save the north end of Wrightsville Beach by installing a Geotube repair bag wall. Later they installed hundreds of feet of steel sheet pile used in the actual construction of and reopening of the newly dug, relocated Mason’s Inlet.
In July 2002, Atlantic Diving and Marine Contractors rebuilt Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, replacing the historic wooden pier with concrete and in 2004, they extended the Banks Channel pier for the Wrightsville Beach U.S. Coast Guard Station and installed a floating dock. In 2013, they transported the historic Palmgren-O’Quinn house on a barge from Harbor Island that would become the southeast office and education center for the N.C. Coastal Federation.
Kevin’s devotion for Wrightsville Beach and the local community was evident through his continual charitable contribution to schools, nonprofits, events and other organizations that support the longevity of Wrightsville Beach. Often described as a mighty and humble man, Kevin was a mentor and friend to many entrepreneurs looking to make their mark within the community. In 2016 Kevin was inducted into the Wrightsville Beach Waterman Hall of Fame as the Diving and Local Hero and in 2020 the Friends of Wrightsville Beach named November 9th as Kevin Walker Appreciation Day.
Always an adventurist in life and business, Kevin was an avid motorcyclist and surfer, having traveled the world with family and friends in pursuit of the best roads and waves. His love for surfing led him to Costa Rica in the early 90’s where he quickly fell in love with the country and people and built a beautiful home in the town of Nosara which he enjoyed with family and friends, truly his favorite place in the world. Kevin and Tina were married there on November 24, 2021.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Lower Cape Fear LifeCare which provided wonderful care and support to Kevin and the family in his final days.
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