On Thursday, July 16, 2020, long-time native Ocalan Dr. Walter Clingman Aiken, Jr., changed addresses and quietly, peacefully moved to Heaven where he was reunited with his wife, Wanda.
Walter, known to most as Dr. Walt, was born in Ocala, Florida on October 1, 1934 to Edith Malone Aiken and Walter C. Aiken, Sr., both predeceased. He was also predeceased on September 1, 2017 by his wife of over 63 years, Wanda, a fifth generation Floridian.
Survivors include sons, Pastor Walter C. Aiken, III, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, David Marshall Aiken, Port Orange, FL; daughters, Dr. Cynthia Aiken Bowlin (son-in-law, Myron K. Bowlin); and Sandra Renee Aiken, Belleview, FL; and a brother, Bill Aiken, Limestone, TN. His four granddaughters, Mackenzie Nicole, Kendall Addison, Cassidy Lynn, and Kennedy Faith, (Belleview) all loved and adored their ‘Buddy.’
After proudly serving his country in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Randolph (CVA-15) during the mid-1950’s, Dr. Walt went on to earn his Doctor of Chiropractic degree in 1961, graduating from Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa. Upon graduation, he opened his first practice in Ormond Beach, Florida where he cared for thousands of patients for over twenty years. In 1983, Dr. Walt was invited to join the faculty, and later, became Alumni Director of Life Chiropractic University, the institution which he proudly helped found in 1974. In 1990, the desire to resume private practice became overwhelming, so after returning to Florida, he and Wanda together built successful family practices in Englewood and then The Villages area before finally retiring in February, 2014.
Highly respected in the chiropractic profession, Dr. Walt held numerous leadership positions and received countless awards for his service within the chiropractic community. Some of his accomplishments included serving as President of the Florida State Board of Chiropractic and having the honor of being a founding member of the Florida Chiropractic Society. Dr. Walt was frequently recognized and honored by his colleagues and peers and often consulted on difficult cases. After being in the presence of a new patient for just a short time, Dr. Walt just seemed ‘to know’ a patient’s problem, an innate gift he could never explain. Of all the honors he was bestowed, his most precious was becoming an ordained Deacon able to serve Christ in both The First Baptist Churches of Daytona Beach and of Ocala.
A victorious ‘Celebration of Life’ will be held on Wednesday, July 22, 2020 at 2:00 PM at First Baptist Church at The Villages 16523 SE 76th Chatham Avenue The Villages, FL 32162. Following the service friends and family will gather at the home of Myron and Cindy Bowlin.
Hiers-Baxley in Belleview has been entrusted with the arrangements.