Ramsay Walker will be remembered around the world for helping many families have decent places to live
Ramsay Walker, almost always in partnership with his wife Bootsaba, has been one of the affordable housing movement’s most prolific volunteers — especially on the global scene as the Walkers were frequent Fuller Center Global Builders participants and team leaders.
In addition to Ramsay’s work in the U.S. that included service at six Millard Fuller Legacy Builds, he participated in more than 20 Fuller Center Global Builders trips — not counting his previous international volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. He helped build homes in such places as Nepal, Armenia, Sri Lanka, India, Peru, Bolivia, South Africa, Haiti and Thailand. The last country on that list was particularly special to Ramsay as “Boots” hailed from that country and always wanted to start a Fuller Center covenant partner in her hometown of Lampang. They did just that a few years ago.
It was while working in Thailand earlier this year that Ramsay suffered a major stroke whose complications led to his death over the weekend at his daughter’s home in Castle Rock, Colorado. Boots reports that Ramsay was surrounded by family when he passed away peacefully.
“Ramsay Walker has been a great friend to The Fuller Center,” Fuller Center President David Snell said. “With his wife, Boots, he has led countless Global Builders trips to sites around the world. Leading these trips is a challenge—for a week or so the leaders are responsible for making sure that the volunteers are housed, fed, transported, and safe, and that they get some good work done. What Ramsay brought to the task was a quiet sense of calm and a genial spirit. He led in ways that made the volunteers want to follow him. We feel a great sense of loss at his passing. We will long remember his contributions to our work.”
“No one who has worked with Boots and Ramsay can forget them,” said Fuller Center Vice President of Communications Chris Johnson, who went on a Global Builders trip to Nicaragua that included the Walkers. “Boots is this bundle of hard-driving energy while Ramsay was a little more mild-mannered as he went about his work, but they both have always shared a passion for helping people have decent places to live and exude this contagious joy in their service. Their personalities truly complemented each other so well and made them a great team in life and service. Ramsay’s gentle, reassuring smile will be missed but also remembered in so many corners of the world.”
A glimpse of Ramsay in action around the world:
6 Comments
What an amazing life of service!! Thank you for this special article!
Ramsay will always be with us! An important a part of us won’t be in sight, but we will be constantly referring to him. His calm demeanor soothed when things went awry and he could always be found (usually down in some hole he was digging) to help those who desperately needed money changed to the local curency…the Bank of Ramsay.
He and Boots have enriched not only the lives of the families they brought new homes to, but to the volunteers who clamored to go with them on yet another build. We will miss you, eh?
I have joined Boots and Ramsay’s team six times in the past, the last one was three years ago. That’s why I was so excited looking forward to meeting them once more in the coming trip to Armenia in August, but Ramsay suffered from a stroke in Thailand this past March, and later he flew back to Colorado. I’ll go to visit a friend in Colorado the end of this month; I thought it would give me the opportunity to see Ramsay at the rehab in Parker, not far from Denver. As I was looking forward to it, like a bolt from the blue, Boots informed us Ramsay passed away. I was shocked and could not believe it was true.
Ramsay was a man of integrity, kindness, wit and humor, he always worked on the toughest job and had endless energy, when he was around laughter could be heard. I used to ask him as a team leader who worked so hard for so many years, if he ever thought of one day he would stop. He smiled at me and said that nothing could stop him unless his body gave up. Ramsay truly fulfilled as what he said: never stopped devoting himself for helping others until the final days of his life. His selfless contributions had encouraged so many people, changed their lives and gave them hope. Ramsay will be missed.
Ramsay Walker, a man of many talents, of unending energy ( energizer bunny was my pet name for him ), deep compassion, gentle quietness, who served humbly to bring assistance to many who were in need beyond their own capabilities. He taught me the meaning of the word service. Long may his memory live on to inspire many to follow the path he trod.
With deep respect and appreciation for a life well lived.
Eleanor E. Howell
We will always remember Ramsay for his kind and gentle presence and unwavering spirit in leading the builds with Boots. Our lives are richer for having shared four builds with them.
This is a huge loss for us, his family and friends and the organizations he was such a big part of.
Cheryl and Ed
We remember Ramsay so well in Cape Town, South Africa, when he came with Boots and the Global Builders.
He was a great inspiration to us all.
The trusses that he built with Team members are providing a roof over the heads of an indigent family in Wesbank, Cape Town.
We, in Cape Town, salute you Ramsay for your kind heart and for being a great teacher to our local chapter of the Fuller Center for Housing.
Your sudden departure came to us as a great shock in Cape Town, but you will always have a special place in our hearts.