One of Armagh’s longest-serving and most respected businessmen, Mr Mervyn Walker, has passed away in Scotland.
Mervyn, alongside his late wife Ivy, ran the hugely popular department store TJ Walkers on Market Street, up until their retirement in 2014.
A true gentleman and a giant in Armagh’s business community, news of the passing will bring great sadness to all those who worked for and alongside him, as well as his many friends and family.
Mervyn left Armagh five years ago, early in December, selling up his home at Hartford Place on the Mall to go and live with family in Scotland.
Over the years he was a driving force for good in Armagh and he left a great legacy when he left these shores.
An Armachian through and through, he always championed his beloved city wherever he went, and passed away on Friday, at the age of 96.
Over many years, he was involved in local trade organisations, and had chaired the former Chamber of Trade and Commerce in days gone by.
Mervyn always sought to bring prosperity and positivity to Armagh and he recognised that customers had a choice of where to spend their money. He believed in good value, top quality and fairness.
Over the years, as Armagh was still enduring the dark days of the Troubles, he tried to encourage businesses to join in dispensing with security shutters, turning on lights, and allowing the public the chance to ‘window shop’, as it were. He wanted to present Armagh as a welcoming city, one that was open for business and on a par with its peers.
Staff who worked with Mervyn over the decades would recall an enthusiastic and fair employer, whose cheery disposition endeared him to all and had the ability to brighten a day.
The history of TJ Walkers stretches back to 1911, when it was opened by Mervyn’s dad, Thomas J. Walker – nicknamed TJ – as a general drapery store, which expanded over the years to include a highly-regarded fashion store.
Manager George Stacey was then appointed to run the business before Mervyn underwent his apprenticeship in Austin’s.
It was then he took over the running of the store in the early 1950s, inheriting extremely dedicated staff, one of which was Ivy Gray, who became Mervyn’s wife in 1954 and who sadly passed away in 2018 at the age of 89.
Modernisation of TJ Walker’s continued with other specialty fancy goods shops opening, such as the Woolcraft and the Jolly Roger in English Street. These were smaller units; the Jolly Roger was a record and toy shop.
Then, in 1969, number 5 Market Street was obtained (1,3 and 5) and he was able to expand the business to sell furniture, carpets and curtains.
In the early 1970s, the Woolcraft and Jolly Roger returned home to the enlarged department store, which employed over 70 people at the time. It was a big store for Armagh.
The premises was destroyed in a fire in April 1974, with Walkers re-establishing as a mini-store at what was the Rainbow Restaurant.
But such was Mervyn’s love for – and dedication to – the Armagh business community and its citizens that he decided to rebuild.
Four years after that devastating blaze, in 1978, and rebuilding was completed.
Walkers returned to their Market Street home, although this time it was ladies fashion only.
The business prospered greatly until its closure in February 2014, after trading for 103 years when Mervyn and Ivy retired, well into their 80s.
In addition to the Chamber of Commerce, Mervyn was also very involved in the Armagh Round Table. He undertook a tremendous amount of charity work for the local hospitals and would often talk fondly about the dances they put on.
He was a Scout Master for First Armagh Scout Troop for many years and committed to that.
And, even with so much already on his hands, Mervn was a Mall Trustee, who worked hard in developing that area over the years and was very involved with St Mark’s Parish Church too.
When he left Armagh five years ago, he visited Market Street, where he had traded for generations, with crowds of city folk, friends, family, business representatives and former Lord Mayor Kevin Savage all turning out to wish him well.
He departed in a vintage vehicle, with a wave to the people of the city he loved he so well.
Mervyn’s son Mark spoke to Armagh I at the time and reflected on his dad’s difficult decision to leave.
“It’s a natural thing to move over and to be closer to family, I think. We’ve planned this for a long time. Now he’s decided to sell the house and move over; he’s done it in his own time, so good for him.
Mervyn Walker Armagh farewell
“He’s leaving Armagh behind with a heavy heart. We asked him to move over here 10 years ago – him and mum – but we couldn’t get them to move.
“He walks up the town, even now, he knows everybody and everybody knows him. That’s why they wouldn’t come across, because Armagh is what he knows.”
And Mark added: “He championed everything Armagh, he really is a true Armachian and, for me, that is his legacy – he loved his city.”
A devoted and loving father, to Jamie, Mark and Zelda, father-in-law and grandfather, we offer our heartfelt sympathy to them, his wider family circle and friends at this saddest of times.
