Prof. Kennett Walker, a devoted friend and supporter of Tbilisi State Medical University has passed away

On February 27, 2018, academic, administrative staff and students of Tbilisi State Medical University gathered at the 3rd Campus Building of Tbilisi State Medical University on farewell ceremony dedicated to Prof. Kennett (Ken) Walker, Professor of Internal Medicine and Neurology at Emory University (Atlanta, USA), an Honorary Doctor of TSMU, Honorary Citizen of Tbilisi and Georgia to commemorate him on his last journey. They recalled numerous merits and contribution made by him to the development of Georgia and medical field. Much has been said about the merits in establishment of the Atlanta-Tbilisi Partnership, collaboration between educational and health care institutions in Georgia and Atlanta, promoting career for many young people and enhancement of their motivation. In parallel, farewell evening dedicated to Professor Walker's commemoration was also held in Atlanta, USA where Professor Zurab Vadachkoria, Rector of Tbilisi State Medical University, gave a farewell speech at the funeral ceremony: „I would like to express my gratefulness to Professor Walker for his contribution made to development of our country and university. A big army of Georgian doctors will be grateful to him forever. Professor Walker will remain in our memory with his kind smile forever ".

Archil Undilashvili (Director of International Educational Programs at Emory University School of Medicine; US MD Program Director at TSMU): “First time I met  Professor Kenneth Walker 14 years ago in Georgia. He asked me whether I spoke English, but then I did not. He took me to America with other students and I soon started to study the language in Kaplan.  Since then we lived together and worked on projects for 14 years...  Besides being my teacher, mentor, friend and father, I would like to evaluate my relationship with him with  his favorite word - "Dzmakatsi (good-friend)" ... it will be very difficult to live without him. .. "

The farewell speeches were given by: Prof. Zurab Orjonikidze, Chancellor of TSMU; Vice-Rectors of TSMU: Prof. Rima Beriashvili, Prof. Khatuna Todadze, Prof. Irakli KOkhreidze; Eka Ekaladze, Director of US MD Program; TSMU Professors and long-standing friends: Gia Tomadze, Zviad Kirtava, Alexander Aladashvili and other invited guests. Elene Godziashvili, the representative of the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health of Georgia, read the letter of condolences send by Amiran Gamkrelidze, Director General of  the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health of Georgia.

Zurab Orjonikidze (TSMU Chancellor, Professor): “Today we bid farewell to a great personality and a great friend of our country, Honorary Citizen of Tbilisi and Georgia, the biggest foreign friend of the medical university. Tbilisi State Medical University will always be grateful for the great deeds that Ken has done for TSMU. You are all aware, but I would like to emphasize over again and say loudly  that the US MD program, that  we are proud of and that  has no equal in Georgia, the South Caucasus region as well as in the post-Soviet space,  is the result of efforts made by Kenneth Walker! I would like to ask the students of US MD Program to visit Professor’s grave and light the candle when being in Atlanta this spring.

Rima Beriashvili (Vice-Rector of TSMU, Professor): "There is no word in Georgian or any other language that can mark the teacher's, mentor's death. Perhaps because this is an orphanhood and there is no need in seeking for new words. I lost my teacher from whom I was studying for my whole life; I learned to do good which was the purpose of his life. He first came to TSMU in 1992, when exchange program of academic staff has been started. That's when I got acquainted with Professor Walker. He loved Georgian people. I used to ask him the reason, but he just smiled back in response. He deliberately left this question in secret till the end … Kenneth Walker was a great personality, we lived with a legend, a giant; from his shoulders the future looked better.

Georgian medical community has sustained a great loss in the death of Professor Kenneth Walker. Colleagues, friends and students recalled and paid tribute to the memory of American professor, who was in special love with Georgia and struggled for its development.

Khatuna Todadze (Vice-Rector of TSMU, Professor): "It happens very rarely when you meet a person who combined in him such contradictory features as:  on the one hand respectability wisdom and, on the other hand youth daring.  He was a man with a remarkable intellect and marvelous thinking ability, as well as, such an idealism, appearance of the Real Dandi and immediate, true humanity. He was a man who taught us what we wanted to be in terms of a teacher and a personality and especially it is important for students.

Irakli Kokhreidze (Vice-Rector of TSMU, Professor): “Professor Ken Walker and I had a 10-year history of relationship that started in Kaspi in 2008, after the Russian-Georgian war. It was then, when the fate of Georgia was absolutely still-uncertain, Ken Walker spoke with his Georgian colleagues about the development of women's reproductive health. Prof. Ken Walcker had an extraordinary character - he helped any person - just a few days before his death, we were planning to send one of our graduates to Emory University clinic for the free treatment”

It should be emphasized that the first time Professor Kennett Walker visited Georgia within the frames of USAID program "Georgia to Georgia" in 1992. Under his support and supervision, the exchange programs for students, clinical personnel, young specialists and academic staff between Tbilisi State Medical University and Emory University School of Medicine have been conducted for more than 25 years. On the initiative of Professor Kennett Walker, the project of American MD program has been developed and implemented, as a result of successful cooperation of the Tbilisi State Medical University (TSMU) and Emory University (U.S. Atlanta) School of Medicine (ESOM).

Eka Ekaladze (US MD Program Director of TSMU): "Ken was a man charming everyone at first encounter; filling everyone with great energy - it didn't make a difference who you were  - big, little, young, old, student, academician ... it was not necessary to be acquainted with him for years – only  a few hours and you thought you knew him all your life.  It could not have gone any other way. Despite I had the privilege of being acquainted with him for only a few years, there's still so much to recall…”

Nodar Maisuradze (student of US MD Program of TSMU): " No coincidence that so many people in this small town gathered around Ken Walker. It should be emphasized that I knew him for 5 years and I am grateful to him. It was easy to communicate with him, we became friends from the very first day I met him. Foremost, I remember cordial and warm relations he had to me and my classmates. For him, age actually did not matter that much, he treated me with utmost respect as his deserved peer. Having been in Atlanta  for 1 month, every day I saw his generous attitude towards the  patients at Graidy Hospital. He used to tell me – the patient should smile when you are leaving the ward. From the very first day he placed great trust in me (the first year student) to manage the patient and told me - "Tomorrow, to my question, who is his personal physician, the patient should point at you". He made a great contribution to the implementation and development of our program.”

After ceremony all moved to the church where a funeral service was arranged. After the service the photo of Prof. Kenneth Walker was decorated with flowers and the attendees participated in the symbolic candles ceremony.

Ken Walker had to be awarded the Emory Medal – Emory’s highest alumni award on March 1, 2018. The planned event will be held and the Emory Medal will be handed to Archil Undilashvili, Director of Educational Programs at the Emory University School of Mmedicine and Head of US MD Program of TSMU. The event was attended by Prof. Zurab Vadachkoria, Rector of TSMU and Georgian residents being in the US.  
Honorary Citizen of Tbilisi and Georgia Prof. Dr. Walker passed away suddenly on February 22, at the age of 81.  The American professor, who was in love with Georgians, was buried in a small patrimonial cemetery of a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia.