I received the email and my heart sank…
If you’ve been reading the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper over the past few years, then you know the name Dr. W. Gifford-Jones, MD. Or maybe you didn’t know his real name was Dr. Ken Walker, a fiery, Harvard-trained gynecologist and medical columnist who somehow kept a sharp pen and an even sharper mind well into his 100s.
He first joined our publication during the pandemic, when clarity and common sense were in short supply. He brought both. His columns, often tailored specifically for Afro and Indo-Caribbean readers, were generous with insight and never afraid to ruffle feathers.
He cared. Deeply. Not just about health, but about people. Our people.
The last note from his family
The message came from his family, written with humour, tenderness, and unmistakable Walker spirit, “It is my father, and not me, who would like to be writing this note to you. He has always had a lot to say to his editors over the years!”
His daughter gently informed us of his passing. Dr. Walker died peacefully on the evening of July 1st, as fireworks lit up Toronto Harbour. He was 101. A centenarian, a weekly columnist, and the oldest contributor to our paper.
He would have already written his final article, “The Toughest Column to Write,” (in this week’s edition) in anticipation of this moment. Only someone with his kind of foresight and wit could stare death in the face and decide it deserved a final word. That’s just who he was.
What you may not know is that Dr. Walker’s medical career spanned continents and decades, from ship surgeon to gynecologist, to pain control pioneer. At 93, he rappelled down 30 stories of City Hall to raise money for Make-a-Wish Kids. In his prime, he fought to legalize heroin to relieve the agony of terminal cancer patients.
He was fearless.
He also wrote ten books, launched a professorship in pain and palliative care, and, true story, his most recent hobby was trap shooting. You couldn’t make him up if you tried.
The part of his legacy I’ll miss the most?
How he spoke directly to our readers. He didn’t talk down. He didn’t generalize. He wrote for us, the communities often ignored or misinformed by mainstream health media. His advice was grounded in science, yes, but also in compassion. It wasn’t unusual for him to rewrite a column just to include culturally relevant advice or translate complex health terms into something our readers could use today.
He was that committed.
Our conversations, his challenge to me
We talked, usually about writing, always about truth. He challenged me to say what I really wanted to say. To use my platform, not water it down. “Don’t let anyone stifle your voice,” he’d tell me. “There’s power in the pen. Use it.”
His voice gave me courage, especially when I had to speak out on uncomfortable issues. He didn’t care if he was controversial. He only cared that people were receiving accurate information, especially when it came to their health.
As his daughter shared, the “Gifford-Jones” health column won’t stop. She will continue it in his honour, every Tuesday, just as he did for 50 years.
Yes. Fifty years. Half a century of weekly wisdom.
It’s rare to find a columnist who stays relevant for five decades. It’s even rarer to find one who understands how to speak to the soul of a community. Dr. Walker did both.
His family’s final words made me smile. They asked us to raise a glass in his memory. Picture him, they said, with a rum and coke in hand, laughing with old friends, and hoping we find a way to solve the world’s problems.
I can see it. Can’t you?
To Dr. W. Gifford-Jones (Ken Walker) you changed our lives. You changed my life, and we’ll continue the work, just like you told us to.
Raise your glass, and your voice.
Let’s keep going.
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