Anxiety Canada is sad to announce the passing of Dr. John Walker, who passed away on December 14, 2018, aged 69.
Dr. Walker helped found the Anxiety Disorders Association of Manitoba (ADAM), of which he was a board member for more than three decades. He was also instrumental in the creation of the Anxiety Disorders Association of Canada, which became Anxiety Canada in 2018.
Judith Law, Executive Director of Anxiety Canada, writes: “It is very sad to hear that John is no longer with us. Although we never met in person, right up until the end, he continued to email me with ideas about collaborative projects and introductions to colleagues in the field of anxiety. I will miss hearing his optimistic and kind voice.”
John was based in Manitoba and spent his entire career at St. Boniface Hospital Manitoba in addition to mentoring generations of professionals as professor emeritus at the University of Manitoba Department of Clinical Psychology, Max Rady College of Medicine. A full obituary was published in The Winnipeg Free Press.
A Canadian champion of evidence-based treatments for anxiety and related disorders in both adults and children, Dr. Walker published several books and papers that became influential in the field. His work as an educator, researcher, and advocate for individuals coping with anxiety is a credit to his memory.
After his diagnosis with pancreatic cancer, John and his family set up a fund to support the Anxiety Disorders Association of Manitoba. If you would like to donate in John’s memory, please feel free to do so here by selecting the “John Walker & Family Research Fund” as beneficiary.