Darren Clark Walters

December 20, 1972 – February 25, 2022

Darren was born in McAllen, Texas on December 20, 1972, to Barbara and Garry Walters. He grew up in a house on Upas Avenue with his parents, brother Mark, and a menagerie of cats and dogs. Growing up with these instilled his love of furry, four-legged friends. He attended Jackson Elementary School, Lamar Middle School, and McAllen High School. In December of 1994, he married the love of his life, Jolene Harkins. They lived in Austin for several years, and then returned to McAllen. A couple of years later their daughter Alison was born in 2003.

His love of music may have begun after “borrowing” his brother’s records as a young boy, his love of music was born. Before the age of ten, he received his first guitar from his paternal grandfather, Tony Marson Walters. This gift of wood and nylon strings lit a fire that lasted his lifetime. Playing music was only a part of his passion for song. As he grew older, his love of music expanded to encompass all sorts of genres. It was perfectly normal for him to follow Elvis with Motorhead then Kiss, the Mavericks, Buddy Guy, Government Mule, or Tom Petty, or some other band he just discovered and was excited to share with whom ever happened to be around. His love of music eventually led him to creating his own brand of hand-made guitars, Marson Guitars, which he named in honor of his grandfather. He was especially proud that one of his guitars was taken on tour by Elton John’s guitar player, John Jorgenson. Daryl Hall of Hall and Oats fame also owns a Marson guitar.

His friends and family were a significant part of his life. He was loyal to those he had known since high school as well as those he had only recently met, sometimes offering a couch to somebody needing a place to sleep. When the television series, “The Sopranos”, became a cultural sensation he combined two of his loves, being with friends and family and cooking, particularly sharing food with the people most important to him. When he and Jolene returned to McAllen, he continued this tradition through the series’ final episode. He never met a stranger, since he made friends everywhere he went.

His love of music extended into other aspects of his life, especially collecting. As his friends and family knew, Darren was an avid collector of guitars. He was always on the lookout for that special one that was overlooked by others. He saved every concert ticket and developed an impressive library of guitar and bass magazines and CDs. But his love of collecting didn’t stop with music. If something piqued his interest, he would take a deep dive into the subject and learn as much as he could, whether it was baseball cards, jewelry, movies, or shirts. Shortly before his passing, he and a friend began the painstaking restoration of a Harley Davidson Roadmaster which he entered into with the same passion as his other interests.

He is survived by his wife Joleen Walters and daughter Alison; mother, Barbara Baker; his father Garry Walters and wife Linda; his brother Mark Walters, sister-in-law Gwyn, niece Gillian and nephew Garrison. He is also survived by a scores of close and dear friends. He was loved by them all and will be deeply missed by each.

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