LAWRENCE COHEN WALKER, JR.'s Obituary
PERRY, GEORGIA-
Lawrence Cohen “Larry” Walker, Jr., 84, passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. Visitation will be held on Saturday, June 13, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Perry Methodist Church in Perry, Georgia. Funeral services will be held on Sunday, June 14, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. at Perry Methodist Church, with Reverend Tom Carruth officiating. Interment will be at Evergreen Cemetery in Perry, Georgia, immediately following the service.
A native and lifelong resident of Perry, Larry was born on March 9, 1942, to the late Lawrence Cohen Walker, Sr., and the late Hilda Gray Walker. He was a 1960 graduate of Perry High School, where he was Senior Class President and earned a Batchelor of Business Administration degree and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Georgia in 1965.
Larry was appointed as Perry’s first Municipal Court Judge in January 1966, at 24 years of age, and was appointed Perry City Attorney in 1975, a role he and his brother David held for 40 years. Walker was elected to the Georgia House in 1972, filling the seat vacated by Sam Nunn who successfully ran for the United States Senate. He went on to serve 32 years in the State House, serving as House Majority Leader for 16 of those years. Significant among his numerous accomplishments in the legislature, Walker was instrumental in bringing Frito-Lay and the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter to Perry.
After his service in the General Assembly, Larry was elected to the Georgia Transportation Board and later appointed by Governor Sonny Perdue to the University System of Georgia Board of Regents. Throughout his public service, Larry was widely respected for his ability to build relationships, bring people together and work through differences for the good of Georgia and his beloved hometown of Perry.
In addition to his public service, Larry was a lifelong and active member of Perry Methodist Church where he and his wife, Janice, were members of the Pathfinders Sunday School Class. He was also a member of the Perry Kiwanis Club, a founding Board member of Crossroads Bank, which became Security Bank, and he was involved in numerous business ventures with friends and law partners.
Larry married the love of his life, Janice Knighton, in 1964. Together they raised four children, Larry III, Wendy, Russell, and John Gray, who all still live in Houston County. He was a devoted family man and enjoyed attending the activities of his 9 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He enjoyed spending time outdoors, working alongside Janice on their farm, hunting dove and quail, and sharing his fishing ponds with family and friends. He loved his dog, Lizzy, his cows, watching youth livestock events at the Ag Center, Perry Panther Football, Westfield Hornets basketball and football, and, of course, his Georgia Bulldogs.
Larry was predeceased by his parents; his brother, David Walker; and his brothers-in-law, Bob Kelly and Jeff Knighton.
Left to cherish the memories of Larry are his devoted wife of 61 years, Janice Knighton Walker; his children, Larry Walker III (Adrienne), Wendy Walker Way (Bob), Russell Walker (Krissy), and John Gray Walker (Sharon); his grandchildren, Ben Walker, Cody Walker (Morgan), Wade Walker (Sydney), Haley Yarbrough (Colby), Gray Way, Walker Way, Knighton Walker, Sophie Walker, and Stella Walker; his great-grandchildren, William Yarbrough, Elizabeth Yarbrough, and Cohen Walker V; his sister, Lynda Kelly; his brother, Charlie Walker; his brother-in-law, Joe Knighton, and sisters-in-law, Jeline Knighton and Deborah Walker; and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests memorial contributions to Perry Methodist Church, 1102 Carroll Street, Perry, GA 31069, or The Westfield School, 2005 U.S. Highway 41 North, Perry, GA 31069, or Perry Panther Touchdown Club, 1307 North Avenue, Perry, GA 31069. Condolences for the family may be left in the online guestbook at https://www.watsonhunt.com. Watson-Hunt Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements.
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