Walton, who was 46, grew up in Oxford and attended Miami in the late 1990s before transferring to and graduating from the University of Cincinnati in 2002.
His father is former Miami marketing professor Dr. John Walton, who retired from the school in 2006 and his mother Marilyn Walton is also known in the Oxford community as a children’s book author and community activities instructor, said Katie Walton, his sister inlaw and 2000 graduate of the university.
According to Nevada-area news reports, federal aviation investigators said the medical transport plane broke up in mid-flight. The investigation into the fatal crash is on-going.
Brother Michael Walton said the father of three young girls, who attended Oxford’s St. Mary’s Church and played ice hockey at Miami’s Goggin Ice Rink as a youth, died doing what he done for decades – helping others while developing an emotional bond with them.
“He was larger than life and had this unbelievable ability to connect with people,” said Michael.
“He never met a stranger and he made everyone around him more joyful and he could bring humor to almost any situation.”
As pilot for the Utah-based Care Flight, Walton “was in charge of getting incredibly ill individuals to the care they needed.”
“It was always a high-pressure sort of mission but he was completely cut out for that. He was one of the best pilots I’ve ever seen. He was just incredible at his job and a by-the-book pilot in every way he operated,” said his brother.
His sister-in-law said a GoFundMe website has been created to help raise money for Walton’s wife of 14 years and their three, grade-school age children who live in the Midwest. The site has a goal of $150,000 to help his family.
“He was the primary earner for the family and we know his single and greatest concern would be for their future,” she said.
Funeral arrangements are pending, she said.
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