By Ashley Benkarski

NASHVILLE, TN — Respected doctor and scholar Dr. Matthew Walker III passed away suddenly at his home in Nashville, TN on Saturday, April 24.

Funeral services will be Wednesday, May 5 at Schrader Lane Church of Christ. Viewing is at 10 a.m. and services will begin at 11 a.m., the family has announced.

The service will be live streamed and there will not be a repass because of the coronavirus.

Devoted husband, father, family man and friend, he is survived by his wife Anna Mary Walker and son Matthew Walker IV.

Dr. Walker was born on Nov. 10, 1964 to Matthew Walker, Jr. and Ramona Bard in Newark, N.J. He eventually settled in Nashville where he worked teaching students and serving the local community as his father and grandfather before him.

“Matthew was a dear friend to our health center,” Katina Beard, CEO of Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center, said. “He wanted to make sure that the legacy of his grandfather lived on in word and deed. I will always remember Matthew for his creative use of words to describe the best details of life.”

His last public appearance was during the annual Matthew Walker Sr. Legacy Breakfast on April  22. He presented the Matthew Walker Sr. Legacy Award and two scholarships during the virtual event. 

A Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences and the Associate Director of the Medical Innovators Development Program at Vanderbilt University, Dr. Walker was inducted as a Faculty Member of Alpha Eta Mu Beta, the National Biomedical Engineering Honor Society in 2018 and elected into the 2020 class of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering’s College of Fellows.

“We are shocked and greatly saddened by the sudden loss of our friend Matthew Walker, III. A genuine man of debonair style and sophistication, Matthew lifted the tides around him with every conversation. His long-term support of our health center ensured the continued legacy of his grandfather Dr. Matthew Walker, Sr. in word and deed. Our thoughts, prayers, and deepest sympathy are with his family, today and always,” the Vanderbilt center said in a statement.

“We are shocked and saddened by the sudden death of Dr. Matthew Walker III,” said Jeff Teague, communications director for Congressman Jim Cooper and chair of the Board of Directors of the Matthew Walker Health center.

“He steadfastly carried on the legacy of his grandfather, Dr. Matthew Walker Sr., to guaranteeing that everyone, regardless of their race or economic situation, has access to the healthcare they need and deserve. His humor, passion, and dedication are a great loss. On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center, I want to express to his family our deepest sympathies and our gratitude for his commitment to the critical work of MWCHC. He will be sorely missed.”

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Lewis and Wright Funeral Home, 2500 Clarksville Pike in Nashville.