Doug Walker is about as local as anyone can be. He was born in Albany, raised in Berkeley, and eventually ended far away in Walnut Creek. After graduating from Berkeley High in 1957, he spent 3 years in the Navy and was discharged in 1960. He

helped his father open his second restaurant in Albany and worked as a dishwasher there while taking engineering courses at Diablo Valley College. In1962 he married a young lady who had come to work for his father.

He decided after 2 years that engineering was not what he really wanted to do and enrolled in the San Francisco City College, Hotel and Restaurant Program, graduating on June 15, 1964. He opened his own restaurant July 13, 1964, Walker’s Restaurant and Pie Shop. His CB handle, Pieguy, reflects this connection. Their first child, Bruce was born in December 1964 and Patrick, their second son, was born in 1967.

Doug and his wife divorced in 1973. He spent the next 11 years as a bachelor. Through a mutual friend he met Beth in 1984. They were married in 1994 in the hospital when Doug was recovering from a heart attack. 

Doug’s interest in cars goes back to age 15 when he got his first car, a 1947 Ford police car with engine compression so low it didn’t run. He worked in a machine shop after school and put all of his extra time and money into fixing up the car. It was running two weeks before he turned 16 when he got his driver’s license. He drove it for 6 months and sold it to buy a ‘48 Oldsmobile 66. Six months later he installed a ’55 Rocket engine and proceeded to drive the wheels off. At one point he put 25,000 miles on it in 8 months.

His two sons are both in the car mechanic profession. Bruce is a partner with Doug in a ’39 Ford street rod which they began in 1982. Doug is also helping Bruce to build up a ’70 Dodge Charger, 440 RT Magnum, street rod, originally owned by Bruce’s grandfather. They are almost ready to install a 600 horse 440 engine. Patrick does auto upholstery and currently works at a Hyundai dealership.

Shortly after meeting Beth in 1984 he joined CHVA.  He doesn’t remember just how he was introduced to CHVA. He and Beth took his 1957 T-Bird, his first collector car bought in 1980, on their first CHVA National Tour in 1985. It was sold 7 years ago after 30,000 happy miles.

CHVA has always been their club, whereas the T-Bird club was Doug’s club. He says Redwood Region has been just a fabulous club for them. They have made many good friends dating back to the National Tour. Because of work commitments and other issues, after 19 years, they finally were able to do their second National Tour this year.

Beth was born in Nebraska, but at age 1 she was moved to the San Francisco area and has been here ever since. She graduated from Alameda High, attended University of California at Berkeley, later graduating from California State University, Hayward. She married in 1960, had 2 daughters, and divorced in 1980. She taught High School and advanced business skills from 1971 to 1984, in Hayward and Chabot College. She left teaching to enter the business world in 1984 with Crocker and Wells Fargo banks, managing computer support. After 4 years she left to manage Aston Tate’s Software Research Center in Walnut Creek. When the company was sold, she became business manager for Rosenblum Cellars in Alameda. After 11 years with the winery she retired this June.

Beth is looking forward to her retirement so she can devote time to artistic interests including theatre and music productions, watercolor painting, needlework and gardening. She and Doug are signed up for a University program for seniors that provides opportunities to attend lectures, concerts, discussion groups, take classes at reduced rates, and travel. They have just added the Auto Action News editor job to the mix of activities. Between them they have 6 grandchildren who all live nearby, so that rounds out their retirement activities.

Published in AAN November, 2004