4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Friday, October 13, 2023 O'Connell Family Funeral Home - Baldwin 1010 Newton St Baldwin WI, 54002
A private family service will be held followed by a gathering of family and friends from 4pm – 6pm on Friday, October 13, 2023 at O’Connell Family Funeral Home in Baldwin, WI. memorials are preferred to the Baldwin Police Department.
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My deepest sympathy to the Walker family. I worked for the Walkers at the A&W on Hwy 12. Darlene and Bob were always so kind to me during my younger years (my first job). May you remember all the wonderful memories to keep in your hearts. Debbie (Lind) Christopherson
Darlene was a great lady! She always looked smart, but under that beautiful exterior was a powerful woman-both in her business and with her family.
I shared some lazy afternoons with her in her pool. We did some traveling together. We spent hours on the phone , talked about all kinds of things and I think probably everything there was to talk about!
We had a couple of favorite restaurants where we would meet for lunch, have a glass of wine and discuss what was happening at that time. It would always be a long lunch …. much to discuss.
I met Darlene at her hair salon where she was getting her beautiful hair cut; it didn’t need styling because it styled itself! It was that kind of hair and she was a lucky lady. It was in 1991 in St. Paul, MN. We easily became friends. I got to know many of her family members through our conversations over the ensuing years because each one played an important part in her life. Next to her business (and some in her business) they were her life. It was interesting for me to watch from a distance as her family grew to the size it is today. I was fortunate enough to meet many of those beloved individuals.
Darlene relied on Corporate A&W for leadership and Company Strategies. Along with that she sought her banker’s advice, whom she trusted, for good business sense. Pooling her resources she made good decisions and became a very successful businesswoman. Her business savvy carried her through some tough times, as well.
Darlene was a generous person, particularly with her family. There are many ways to be generous and I think Darlene knew quite a few of them. Some may have been more obvious, many more were known only to the person(s) receiving the gift(s).
In her later years Darlene did some Mentoring for people who were starting a business. When she told me about that project, I sensed her pride in being able to help future entrepreneurs. I also know that her kind/type of mentoring does not mirror that of others, male or female. She was creative.
Darlene loved Harley and Harry (Harry helped her recover from the loss of Harley), and although she was very sad to not have Harry with her recently, she was so happy that Bobby had him. Bobby made sure Harry visited Darlene, especially when he had his groom.
I miss Darlene. But I have for some time now. The last time I saw her at the Care Center we had a ‘good visit’ as she would say. It was very different.
BFF Ginny
It was a pleasure to have known Darlene and to help her care for Bridget, Harley and Harry. She loved her dogs and they loved her back. We shared a lot of laughs over the years and also some sad times. Darlene was the best. My thoughts are with you.
My deepest sympathy to the Walker family. I worked for the Walkers at the A&W on Hwy 12. Darlene and Bob were always so kind to me during my younger years (my first job). May you remember all the wonderful memories to keep in your hearts. Debbie (Lind) Christopherson
Darlene was a great lady! She always looked smart, but under that beautiful exterior was a powerful woman-both in her business and with her family.
I shared some lazy afternoons with her in her pool. We did some traveling together. We spent hours on the phone , talked about all kinds of things and I think probably everything there was to talk about!
We had a couple of favorite restaurants where we would meet for lunch, have a glass of wine and discuss what was happening at that time. It would always be a long lunch …. much to discuss.
I met Darlene at her hair salon where she was getting her beautiful hair cut; it didn’t need styling because it styled itself! It was that kind of hair and she was a lucky lady. It was in 1991 in St. Paul, MN. We easily became friends. I got to know many of her family members through our conversations over the ensuing years because each one played an important part in her life. Next to her business (and some in her business) they were her life. It was interesting for me to watch from a distance as her family grew to the size it is today. I was fortunate enough to meet many of those beloved individuals.
Darlene relied on Corporate A&W for leadership and Company Strategies. Along with that she sought her banker’s advice, whom she trusted, for good business sense. Pooling her resources she made good decisions and became a very successful businesswoman. Her business savvy carried her through some tough times, as well.
Darlene was a generous person, particularly with her family. There are many ways to be generous and I think Darlene knew quite a few of them. Some may have been more obvious, many more were known only to the person(s) receiving the gift(s).
In her later years Darlene did some Mentoring for people who were starting a business. When she told me about that project, I sensed her pride in being able to help future entrepreneurs. I also know that her kind/type of mentoring does not mirror that of others, male or female. She was creative.
Darlene loved Harley and Harry (Harry helped her recover from the loss of Harley), and although she was very sad to not have Harry with her recently, she was so happy that Bobby had him. Bobby made sure Harry visited Darlene, especially when he had his groom.
I miss Darlene. But I have for some time now. The last time I saw her at the Care Center we had a ‘good visit’ as she would say. It was very different.
BFF Ginny
It was a pleasure to have known Darlene and to help her care for Bridget, Harley and Harry. She loved her dogs and they loved her back. We shared a lot of laughs over the years and also some sad times. Darlene was the best. My thoughts are with you.