Walker in 2009, Featureflash / Shutterstock.com
Birth Name: Paul William Walker IV
Date of Birth: September 12, 1973
Place of Birth: Glendale, Los Angeles, California, United States
Date of Death: November 30, 2013
Place of Death: Valencia, Santa Clarita, California, U.S.
Ethnicity: English (mostly), some German, distant Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Scottish, and Swiss-German
Paul Walker was an American actor. He was known for starring in The Fast and the Furious franchise, as well as in the films Monster in the Closet, Tammy and the T-Rex, Pleasantville, Varsity Blues, She’s All That, The Skulls, Joy Ride, Timeline, Into the Blue, Eight Below, Running Scared, Takers, Hours, and Brick Mansions.
Paul was the son of Cheryl (Crabtree), a model, and Paul William Walker, a contractor and boxer who was a Golden Gloves champion. Among his siblings is actor Cody Walker. Paul was of mostly English ancestry, with a smaller amount of German roots, and distant Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Scottish, and Swiss-German, ancestry. His family tree included (relatively) recent emigrants from England and Germany, as well as English roots from ancestors who had long lived in New England, and elsewhere in the United States.
Paul had a daughter, model Meadow Walker, with his former partner Rebecca Soteros.
Paul’s paternal grandfather had a boxing career as “Irish” Billie Walker, but it does not seem that he had any Irish ancestry. Paul Walker (the actor) had stated that his own roots were partly Irish, but no traceable Irish ancestry has yet been documented for Paul.
Paul’s paternal grandfather was Paul William Walker II (the son of Paul William Walker and Harriett/Harriet June Willey). Paul’s grandfather Paul was born in California. Paul’s great-grandfather Paul Walker was born in Wisconsin, the son of George Walker and Anna/Anne/Ann Augusta Tilley, who were from England, with Anna having been born in Clerkenwell, London. Harriett was born in Illinois, as was Harriett’s father, Charles Leon Willey (Charles’s parents were Ebenezer “Eben”/”Eban” Glover Willey and Ellen Augusta “Nellie” Hopkins); Paul’s great-great-grandfather Charles was of English descent, and his parents’ families had long been established in New England. Harriett’s mother, Ella Pearl Clark, was from Pennsylvania.
Paul’s paternal grandmother was June Vivian Oefinger (the daughter of Alma John “Elmer” Oefinger and Elizabeth Idell “Betsey”/Betsy Spooner). June was born in Connecticut. Alma was the daughter of Johannes “John” Oefinger, a German emigrant, from Trossingen, Wuerttemberg, and of Louisa Ann Stark/Stard, who was born in Deerfield, Massachusetts, to German immigrants, Ludwig Frederick “Lewis” Stark and Mary/Marie Rechert/Richert. Betsey was the daughter of William Hampton Spooner and Annie Woodruff Smith, who were from families long-resident in the United States, and of English descent.
Paul’s maternal grandfather was George Milton Crabtree (the daughter of Louis F. Crabtree and Nina Letha Price). George was born in Missouri. Louis was the son of George Ransom Crabtree and Rosa Doscia Griswald. Nina was the daughter of Clyde Delmar Price and Daisy Jane McGrew.
Paul’s maternal grandmother was Viola Annalea/Ann Smith (the daughter of Lester Orville Smith and Hazel Clarinda Mitchell). Viola was born in Missouri. Lester was the son of George Wesley Smith and Frances Ellen Newman. Hazel was the daughter of Henry Sewell Mitchell and Hattie Belle Hazelwood. Paul’s maternal grandmother’s ancestry is heavily English, with more distant Swiss-German and German roots.
Walker in 2009, photo credit: Andre Luis
Sources: Genealogies of Paul Walker – https://www.geni.com
https://sites.google.com
Paul’s paternal grandfather, Paul William Walker II, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Obituary of Paul’s paternal grandfather, Paul William Walker II – http://theworldlink.com
Birth record of Paul’s paternal great-grandfather, Paul William Walker – https://familysearch.org
Paul’s paternal great-grandmother, Harriett/Harriet June Willey, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Harriett/Harriet June Willey on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Paul’s paternal great-great-grandfather, Charles Leon Willey, on the 1870 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Charles Leon Willey on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Obituary of Paul’s paternal grandmother, June Vivian (Oefinger) Walker – http://theworldlink.com
Paul’s paternal great-grandmother, Elizabeth Idell “Betsey” Spooner, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
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