WALKER BURLIN MOORE JR.'s Obituary
Reverend Dr. Walker Burlin Moore Jr. was born on July 21, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky, to Walker B. Moore Sr. and Delois Moore. He was raised in a home grounded in faith, discipline, and the value of education. His father served as a dedicated mail carrier, and his mother was a devoted schoolteacher. Both parents were classmates and proud graduates of Kentucky State University. To this union, two sons were born: Walker and his brother, Edison.
Walker’s childhood was enriched by strong family ties. He spent many joyful summers with his maternal grandparents, Roy and Alpha Edison, in Beaver Dam, KY and treasured time with his paternal grandparents, Rev. Nick and Melrose Moore, in Earlington, KY.
At an early age, Walker accepted Christ, beginning a lifelong journey of faith and service. Many of his formative summers were spent in the small rural coal-mining towns of Beaver Dam and Earlington, where his loving grandparents poured wisdom, common sense, and knowledge into him.
As a child, Walker’s family lived in public housing, and he attended segregated schools until the ninth grade. During junior high school, he and a few other African American students were selected to integrate a local all-white school. For the first time, he experienced having brand-new textbooks. During a math class, Walker raised his hand and correctly solved a math problem, despite the teacher’s efforts to embarrass him, by referring to him as ‘sunshine boy’.
Walker’s journey to success was paved with obstacles, including racism, which only strengthened his resilience. He experienced discrimination firsthand when his well-meaning white coach took the track team to a local restaurant to celebrate a successful season, only for them to be denied entrance because Black students were on the team.
Racism extended into daily life. Walker rode segregated buses and was required to pay his fare at the front door, exit the bus, and re-enter through the rear door. At times, white bus drivers would intentionally drive away before he and his friends could board, forcing them to walk miles home. He also witnessed one of his Black classmates—who had earned the highest grade point average in their graduating class—being denied the honor of valedictorian solely because of his race.
Walker attended Mayo High School, a school known throughout Kentucky for producing more future governors than any other high school in the state. After graduating, he was accepted into Howard University. He arrived on campus with a small suitcase and only $75 in his pocket. For the first time, he saw people who looked like him thriving in professional occupations, an experience that deeply inspired him.
In 1964, Walker earned his undergraduate degree in Psychology and Mathematics. He continued his studies and received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 1968. Later, from 1980 to 1981, he attended the University of Michigan School of Public Health as a candidate for a Master of Public Health degree.
Soon after graduating, he was commissioned into the United States Air Force, serving from 1968 to 1971 with the rank of Captain, earned through his ROTC training.
Following his honorable discharge in 1971, Walker relocated to Atlanta, where he established a private dental practice that faithfully served the community for 44 years. During this time, he also participated in missionary work in Antigua and Barbuda and other countries, extending both his surgical skills and compassion beyond his immediate community.
Walker was nationally recognized for his many professional contributions:
Beginning in 1979, he faithfully served as a member, trustee, and assistant treasurer of Mount Vernon Baptist Church.
In 1978, he served as a Review Consultant to the Department of Health Resources Administration, HEW.
In 1977, he served as a Consultant to the Food and Drug Administration, HEW Office of Professional Consumer Affairs.
In 1976, he developed and implemented a contractual dental program for the state’s first model HMO at the University Center Community Health Plan.
In 1975, he served as Dental Consultant for the Atlanta Head Start Preschool Program.
In 1966, he received a research grant from the National Institute of Dental Research to continue anthropology research initiated at the Smithsonian Institution Base Scott.
Also in 1966, he published “Anthropological Study of Aleut and Eskimo Juvenile Dentition” in the Dental Students Journal. The article later earned third place in the Annual Journal Review.
In addition, Walker served on numerous distinguished professional boards and affiliations, including the National Dental Board, North East Regional Dental Board, Missouri State Dental Board, Georgia State Dental Board, National Dental Association, and the Society for Research and Study of the Negro in Dentistry. Because of his leadership and excellence in the profession, he was elected President of the National Dental Association.
Reverend Dr. Moore was widely respected throughout his community for his service, leadership, and compassionate spirit. While continuing his private dental practice, Walker answered a higher calling into the ministry. For 14 years, he faithfully served as a pastor, shepherding his congregation with wisdom, humility, and unwavering faith.
He balanced his professional and spiritual life with hobbies that reflected his energetic personality, including hunting, swimming, collecting antiques, and traveling.
After retiring from both dentistry and pastoral ministry, Walker and his wife, SaSandra, joined Antioch-Lithonia Missionary Baptist Church in July 2019. There, he remained active as a minister, Sunday School teacher, noon-day Bible study teacher, and NTO member. He was deeply loved and respected for his enthusiastic teaching style and profound knowledge of the bible.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Walker B. Moore Sr. and Delois Moore; his grandparents, Roy and Alpha Edison and Rev. Nick and Melrose Moore; and his brother, Dr. Edison Gary Moore Sr.
He leaves to cherish his memory: his loving and devoted wife, SaSandra Elizabeth Moore; his children, Erika Moore Washington, Kevin Moore, and Keith Edison Moore; his stepson, Robert Lawrence Fischer; his grandchildren, Imani Washington, Kaleb Moore, and Trenton Moore; and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, and dear friends.
Reverend Dr. Walker Burlin Moore Jr.’s life was a testament to faith, perseverance, service, and excellence. His legacy will continue to live on through the countless lives he touched and the many people he faithfully served.
In lieu of cut flowers, the family kindly requests live plants that may be kept in memory of their loved one.
Please note that the burial will take place on Monday, May 18, 2026 at the Georgia National Cemetery in Canton, Ga. at 11:00 A.M.
What’s your fondest memory of WALKER?
What’s a lesson you learned from WALKER?
Share a story where WALKER's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with WALKER you’ll never forget.
How did WALKER make you smile?
