James Hamilton Walwark Jr., 92, a resident of Oak Park for over 50 years, died peacefully on April 1, 2026, in Norridge, with his daughter, Alison, by his side. Born at home in Edwardsville on Sept. 15, 1933 to James Hamilton Walwark Sr. and Gladys Anna Mae Miller Walwark.
Raised in Belleville, he graduated in 1951 from Belleville Township High School where he was in the Little Theater Group and a member of the National Thespian Society. That fall he entered Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, where he was a member of the Southern Players, Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, the Arnold Air Society and was the 1953-54 Junior Class President. He remained with SIU’s AFROTC for the full four years and was named Distinguished AFROTC Graduate. He earned his B.S. in English and Education in 1955, and a master’s degree in English in 1956.
He entered the U.S. Air Force as 2nd Lt. Navigator in September 1956, training at Lackland AFB in San Antonio with assignments at Ellington AFB, Houston; Mather AFB, Sacramento; and Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. He retired from active-duty on Jan. 15, 1959, and by the end of the month he had begun his first semester teaching English at Oak Park and River Forest High School while simultaneously serving in the AF Reserves. He was honorably discharged as Captain in January 1968.
In 1967, he helped create and administer the Alternative XP Program at OPRF, an experimental effort in open education, which advocated and implemented a closer personal relationship between teacher and student. During his tenure at OPRF, he was actively engaged in additional course work: small group interaction, etymology, humanities, and learning disabilities. In 1983, he utilized a one-semester sabbatical to travel the U.S. and Europe to investigate local educational resources. He was a part of the first Adult Evening Program as well as the original Evening School Diploma Program. For many of his earliest years at OPRF he taught Summer School.
In 1985, he received the Outstanding Teacher Award from the University of Chicago. His students cited him for convincing them that “every experience is worth writing about.” His students admired “his calm and humorous approach, facing insurmountable odds with a smile and a little chuckle, determination and patience.”
After his retirement in 1992, he took his writing theories to adult communities by starting the Scribblers Group, encouraging his new student demographic to let hidden talents emerge by writing about experiences in a casual, free-flowing manner. His love of teaching, his desire to work with everyone who approached him, and his respect for and love of reading history’s notable authors, spilled over for many years into another leisure time pursuit: being a docent at the Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Museum in Oak Park.
Jim and Polly joined Unity Temple 20 years ago and were for many years, active and engaged members. He served as a Pastoral Associate, the team that provided a listening presence to those in need. “His warmth and compassion were visibly evident, and his inviting and welcoming manner was a gift.” His gusto and hearty laughter will be missed.
He is survived by Polly Andrews Walwark, his wife of 53 years; his children from his first marriage to Annette Baldwin: Alison Walwark and Bruce Walwark; his grandchildren, Louisa Kwasigroch (Nick), David Walwark Jr. (Marija Zimkute), James Walwark, Maxwell Noto (Caitlin Sciackitano), Elliot Walwark (Karrigan McKinnon), and Claire Walwark; and his great-grandchildren Louise & Vivian Kwasigroch and Ignas Walwark. He is predeceased by his son, David James Walwark Sr. [d. 2017] (Louise Gruenberg) and his brother, Dale Miller Walwark [d. 2024] (Penny Walwark).
A memorial service to honor the life of Jim Walwark will be held on Sunday, May 3 at 2 p.m. at Unity Temple Universal Unitarian Church, 875 Lake St., Oak Park. The service will be live-streamed and recorded for viewing on Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation’s YouTube Page.