Barbara "Boots" Bradley Walker-Hare

Born Jan. 17, 1927, BARBARA "BOOTS" BRADLEY WALKER-HARE led a full life rich in friendships, family, experiences and changes. Born and raised in Indianapolis, Ind., she was educated at Tudor Hall High School and then attended Pine Manor in Boston. A charming young woman, Boots was the belle of any ball she attended in Indianapolis. At her family's summer home in Culver, Indiana, she was swept off her feet by J. Wythe Walker of Little Rock, a dashing soon-to-be Annapolis graduate of the United States Naval Academy who persuaded her to marry him in 1949. They moved to Little Rock and began married life in a penthouse apartment on top of the Union Life Insurance Building on Center Street. After the birth of their first child, they gave up downtown living. A busy mother of three, Boots was always active in civic and charitable organizations. She was a member of the Junior League of Little Rock, the Little Rock Garden Club, and Colonial Dames of America and served on the boards of the Little Rock Boys Club and the Florence Crittenden Home. She was a founding member of St. Mark's Episcopal Church. An avid sportswoman, she was a fine golfer and tennis player. When her husband became a member of Alcoholics Anonymous in 1966, she became an active member of Al Anon (the sister group). For 25 years, they helped hundreds of individuals find sobriety. After Wythe, Sr. died in 1992, she reconnected with her high school sweetheart, Laurens Clark Hare, and married a second time. They split their time between homes in Jupiter, Fla., and Little Rock until Larry's death in 2013. On her own for the past 16 months, Boots filled her life with happy times spent with her family and many close friends. She is survived by her three children, Barbara Walker Rushing (Nolan), Jacob Wythe Walker, Jr., Harvey Bradley Walker (Beth); and stepson, Laurens Tykle Hare (Lorrie Myers); grandson, Bradley Prather Walker; granddaughter, Rhea Frans (Kyle); and great-granddaughters, Madelyn, Charlotte and Penelope; step-grandchildren Laurens Alexander Hare and Rebecca Tykle Hare; brother Charles Harvey "Buck" Bradley (daughters, Sally Peacock and Jane Bezdek); and sister, Catherine Harvey Moseley (daughters, Carrie Mandala and Kate Krieg). Boots leaves behind many dear friends, including Jane Moses, Ray and Sara Jouett, Pearl Camp, Louise Terzia, her Burge's lunch friends and the "Oldies" group at the LRCC. Boots passed away May 7, 2015 after a brief illness. A memorial service will be held at St. Mark's Episcopal Church on Tuesday, May 12, at 11 a.m. A reception will be held in the Parish Hall immediately following. Memorials in lieu of flowers may be made to: the Wolfe Street Foundation, 1015 Louisiana Street, Little Rock, Ark. 72202; the Little Rock Garden Club, POB 7613, Little Rock, Ark. 72217; or St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 1000 North Mississippi Ave, Little Rock, Ark. 72207. Arrangements by Ruebel Funeral Home, www.ruebelfuneralhome.com.