Note: N1362 Frontpage article in The Destin Log by John Ledbetter, 4 April 2001: Longtime captain dies at age 50 The Destin fishing fleet has lost its goodwill ambassador. Stokes Walker, the 50-year-old captain of the Breakaway, died Tuesday morning in Pensacola's Sacred Heart Hospital. Walker had been hospitalized "off and on" for several months from liver complications, said his father, Neel Walker. "He was a good friend and a friend to all the fishermen," said Destin Mayor Ken Beaird, who's also a captain. "A charter captain's business is built on repeat customers," Beaird said. "And Stokes treated everyone like they were repeat customers. He'll be missed by the whole fleet." Neel Walker said his son was born in Atlanta, came to Destin around 1970 and immediately started working in his father's boat rental business. He apprenticed as a deckhand with Capt. Royal Melvin before getting his captain's license "more than 20 years ago." Stokes found the boat he would captain for the rest of his life�the Breakaway�in Islamorada. After purchasing the boat he quickly became a fixture on Destin's fishing scene. He served as a director of the annual Destin Fishing Rodeo, was secretary of the Destin Charter Boat Association and was on the board of directors for the National Charter Boat Association. "He has been a big part of the Rodeo and will be greatly missed," said Helen Donaldson, executive director of the Rodeo. "He'd volunteer for everything and was always happy to emcee or to chair the golfing tournament. "If you look back in the rodeo book (Fifty Years of Fishing) you'll see pictures of Stokes from when he was a little kid until the present. He was always involved," she said.
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