Pittsburg Rug Dealer Richard T. Walker Dead at 65 - PittsburghLIVE.com

Oriental rug expert enjoyed exotic travels - PittsburghLIVE.com: "Oriental rug expert enjoyed exotic travels

Richard T. Walker
By Jerry Vondas
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, October 2, 2005
As one of the leading Oriental rug dealers in the nation, Dick Walker was the expert that U.S. Customs officials often trusted to authenticate the value of Oriental rugs coming into the country.
But such recognition came with a price, said his wife and partner, Kathleen Walker. "We traveled a great deal," she said. "In the years before the Shah of Iran was deposed, Dick and I made our way throughout the back roads of Iran looking to purchase quality Oriental rugs."

Richard T. Walker, of Upper St. Clair, owner of Walker Rugs on Washington Road, Mt. Lebanon, died of heart failure on Friday, Sept. 30, 2005, at his home. He was 65.

"We had guides take us to these hamlets by jeeps, trucks and old junkers," Mrs. Walker added. "On one occasion, our guide left us as soon as it got dark because of his religious beliefs that required him to be in his house before sunset.





"He left us stranded with a rented Mercedes that Dick couldn't take out of reverse," Mrs. Walker said. "Dick drove the 25 miles to the airport in Teheran in reverse. There was only one plane a week leaving Teheran."

Kathleen Walker also recalled how President Nixon invited them to travel to China to train potential Oriental rug dealers on retail sales procedures. "Dick's father often supplied the White House with Oriental rugs. President Nixon knew we could handle the assignment."

Born and raised in Mt. Lebanon, Richard Walker was one of two sons in the family of Russell C. and Leona Thomssen Walker.

His father, a native of St. Louis, opened his first Oriental rug store in 1940 by leasing space in Kaufmann's Department Store, Downtown. He later leased space in department stores in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Indianapolis, Houston and St. Louis.

"We cut back about 15 years ago," said Mrs. Walker. "Mt. Lebanon is our only store."

Dick Walker learned the Oriental rug business by helping his father after school and on weekends, Mrs. Walker added. "The Kaufmann family selected Dick's father to provide the Oriental rugs for Fallingwater," the Fayette County home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

In 1958, following graduation from Mt. Lebanon High School, where he played the trumpet in the school band, Mr. Walker enrolled at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio.

Upon receiving his degree in 1962, he married Kathleen Lynott and began his 43-year career with the family business. Upon his retirement this year, his son, R.T. Walker, assumed the management of the company.

Although traveling was a major part of their married life, Mrs. Walker recalled that the greatest joy that came with traveling came about when Mr. Walker would take his family cruising throughout the world.

Mr. Walker is survived by his wife, Kathleen Lynott Walker; two daughters, Mary May and her husband, Marcus, of Bath, Ohio, and Anne Watterson and her husband, James, of Solon, Ohio; two sons, Richard T. Walker Jr. and his wife, Frances, of South Fayette, and John Walker and his partner, Ken Henkle, of Atlanta; seven grandchildren; and a brother, Russell Walker and his wife, Donna, of North Fayette.

Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m. today at Beinhauers, 2828 Washington Road, Peters. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 2 p.m. Monday at St. John Capistran Church, Upper St. Clair. Burial will be in Queen of Peace Cemetery, Peters.

Jerry Vondas can be reached at jvondas@tribweb.com or (412) 320-7823."