WARNER ROBINS – The flags flew at half-mast in front of Warner Robins City Hall late Monday afternoon in honor of Mayor Donald S. Walker who took his own life earlier in the day. But the flags only began to signal the grief, shock and dismay going on inside the two-story red brick building.

Words failed many city employees, officials and friends who gathered for an emergency city council meeting. Some relied on a firm handshake or a lingering hug. Others could muster only sad eyes and a knowing nod of the head.

One city employee, her face creased with tears from the emotional afternoon, captured the mood of many people standing in and around the council chambers.

“I just don’t think I can put into words what I’m feeling,” she explained, adding a wave of her arms to emphasize a sense of helplessness then dabbing her eyes as another tear emerged.

Police Chief Brett Evans told council members that the mayor’s death would be handled routinely, using standard investigative procedures. But his sad face underscored that the incident would be anything but routine.

“He was not just my boss, he was my friend,” Evans stressed after the brief council meeting. “One of the closest things we shared was a love for the city. And I think a love for the city is what drove him to do what he did.”

It is a tragedy, Evans conceded. “But I also know that God’s grace is sufficient.

Councilman Bob Wilbanks was struck by the abrupt end to Walker’s 15 years as mayor.

“He’s been the mayor of Warner Robins for as long as most people can remember,” Wilbanks noted. “He’s been a very strong and effective leader. He’s done some wonderful things. To lose someone like that so suddenly has a tremendous impact at a lot of different levels. It’s going to take a few days for it to soak in that he’s not here.”

Walker’s insistence on hiring good people will ensure that city business continues, he quickly added.

“We have people running our departments who do an excellent job. That’s a testament to Mayor Walker’s leadership,” Wilbanks said. “You can call any department at any time and we have professionals and the equipment to get the job done.”

Another councilman, Tom Simms Jr., called Monday a tragic day for Warner Robins and the people who live there.

“The mayor and I didn’t agree on everything, but he would listen,” said Simms. “He had a knack for coming up with things to save the city money yet still get good quality. He always worked to make the city a better place to raise a family.”

Councilman Clifford Holmes, who served as interim mayor last year during Walker’s recovery from a foot injury, said he was shocked and hurt by what had unfolded. Holmes’ relationship with the Walker family goes back more than 40 years when he was an industrial arts teacher in the local school system during the mayoral tenure of Walker’s father, Homer J. Walker Jr.

“His father bought bookcases from my eighth grade students and I loved the man. I have jokingly told Donald that his father was the best mayor the city ever had,” Holmes said with a smile. “He would laugh too. He will be missed by everyone.”

Bill Hart, city comptroller for the past 11 years, saw Walker on a nuts and bolts level as the two grappled with city finances.

“He was tough but a fair man. He was very compassionate,” Hart revealed. “Some times we didn’t agree on tactics, but he always respected my opinion. He cared a great deal about Warner Robins.”

Hart believes Walker will be remembered for a number of accomplishments – the locating of a Macon State College campus downtown and the developing of Russell Parkway coming to his mind.

“But the dynamics of the city will really change,” he noted. “I am saddened and shocked. He will be missed.”

Statements from a number of officials poured in as word spread of the Walker tragedy. Sen. Saxby Chambliss said he and Walker had been friends for several years.

“My thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this difficult time,” he said by e-mail from his Washington D.C. office.

State Sen. Cecil Staton said he had never met a political figure who loved his home town more, cared more for his constituents or whose leadership made such a significant impact.

“He was Warner Robins’ best ambassador,” Staton related in a written statement. “He loved his city and the Air Force base that was such a part of his life. His pride and vision have laid a foundation that the citizens of Warner Robins will build upon and enjoy for a generation to come.”

Superior Court Judge L.A. “Buster” McConnell was finishing a late court session Monday and was not in the crowd at city hall. But his reactions were deep and visceral. McConnell was a close friend and attorney for Walker’s father and said Walker’s mother was one of the most gracious individuals he had ever known.

“Part of our history has left us,” McConnell said of Walker’s death. “He has been part of the local fabric for so many years.”

His mind flashed back to1994 when Walker first took over as mayor.

“A lot of people underestimated Donald,” McConnell recalled. “They thought the city would come apart at the seams.”

But the new mayor came with a lot of tough fiber, the judge pointed out. “He had a lot of his father in him and, thank goodness, he had some of his mother as well,” he said. “It is just beyond my imagination that something like this could happen … but it did.”