Anyone who has visited the McCallie School campus can attest to its beauty. The buildings boast of tradition and modern amenities, and the manicured grass provides a perfect canvas for the topnotch landscaping. Add the parade of young men in uniform to the mix, and you have an impressive setting. Few have the experience of attending McCallie School; even fewer have the privilege of living on the grounds. Kirk Walker is fortunate enough to have experienced both. An alumnus of McCallie, Walker became headmaster in 1999, the first individual outside of the McCallie family ever to hold the position. Kirk and his wife, Patsi, moved into the Headmaster House on the McCallie campus that same year.
Built in the 1940s, the Headmaster House sits on the side of a ridge overlooking McCallie’s campus. Originally built by Dr. Bob McCallie, a co-headmaster at the time, the house served as McCallie’s residence. Kirk Walker describes the home’s evolution, “When Bob built the house, some of McCallie’s staff had access to property on campus to build their homes. Over time the house evolved into the Headmaster House.” A sign bearing that name greets you at the base of the driveway. A sizable home built into the side of the hill, the Headmaster House looks like a natural extension of the surrounding architectural and natural beauty. The Headmaster House boasts five bedrooms and five and a half baths, as well as a great deal of living space. Prior to the Walker’s move into the house in 1999, the previous headmaster, Spencer McCallie III and his wife, Sarah, moved out for a few months to make way for some major renovations. The renovations included opening up some of the original floor plan, as well as the addition of a master bedroom and bath and a large sunroom on the main floor that serves as a cozy living space for the Walkers.
The sunroom also makes a nice addition to the space that the Walkers use for entertaining in their home. Kirk is proud of his wife’s knack for entertaining. He says, “Patsi has a flare for decorating, and she is a great hostess.” The interior of the house serves as proof of Patsi’s decorating talents. No detail is left to chance, and, despite its elegant appearance, the house has a warm element that serves to make even strangers feel perfectly comfortable, claiming their space on the couch and enjoying the company. The home is lived in yet elegant, a balance that is often difficult to achieve. Patsi and Kirk are part of this balance. They are friendly and welcoming and make for great company.
Patsi is always happy to entertain guests at her home. She is grateful, though, for Kirk’s support when the demands of entertaining get out of control. She explains, “Kirk has always been good at saying, ‘Don’t do anything you don’t want to’ because, obviously, there are other places that we could have parties, especially now that we have the fabulous new dining hall. I just think that people like to come to a home. It has a different feel to it.” The Walkers host many parties each year. Patsi says, “We have faculty, alumni, parent groups, and trustees to our house several times throughout the year.”
In addition, the Walkers host a Christmas party every year for each class of boarders (grades 9-12) at McCallie. Of these annual get-togethers with students, Kirk says, “It’s always fun to get together with the boys because it is very exciting for them to come up to the house. They are about to begin their holiday so they are in a great mood.” Kirk adds with a smile, “It’s always amazing to see just how much food they can consume.” The Walkers have the boys over for Bingo and prizes and, of course, lots and lots of food.
The annual faculty Christmas party is one of the largest parties that the Walkers host. Last year’s event drew between 270-280 guests. Despite the plentiful living space, the faculty Christmas party makes for a crowded event. In order to accommodate the guests, the Walkers utilize a climate-controlled tent placed on the lawn just outside the sunroom. This tent helps with overcrowding and provides a nice addition to the party’s festive atmosphere. Patsi and Kirk look forward to the faculty Christmas party each year.
The holiday season is a busy time for both the Walker’s McCallie family and their own brood, which includes three grown children: Rob (27), Whit (25) and Caroline (22). Patsi and Kirk’s children come home every holiday season from their respective homes in New York and North Carolina, and the Walkers wouldn’t have it any other way. “When our children were very young, Kirk and I made the decision that we were going to be home on Christmas and our extended family was welcome to join us if they wished. Well, every year, they come. Neither one of us has a very large family, but it is pretty amazing that, after all of these years, everyone has remained close enough to make it. It’s really special for the children. Kirk and I have toyed with the idea of doing something else at Christmas, but the children do not approve. They want Christmas at home,” Patti explains.
Home to the Walkers is the Headmaster House at McCallie, and holiday preparations start early. The annual faculty holiday party takes place every year on the last day of school before the holidays, and the boarder parties take place during the week or so prior. Unlike many in similar positions, Patsi takes full responsibility for the holiday decorating. She explains, “I don’t have any help decorating. I do have help with catering at the parties, but I do everything myself on Christmas.” Patsi really enjoys this process except for one part. She adds, “I don’t enjoy getting the decorations out, and I don’t enjoy putting them up, but I love to decorate. If I could only have a little elf come in and take it all out of the boxes for me and pack it back up it would be perfect.”
Family holiday traditions fill the Walker home during the holidays. One might even say they’ve gotten a little out of hand. Kirk explains, “Like a lot of families, over the years we have accumulated many traditions. Some years it only takes once for something to become a family tradition. We’ve gotten to the point now that if we are going to add a tradition, we have to pick one to drop.” If the Walkers let all of their traditions take root, there would be no time for anything else.
Nearly all of the Walkers’ favorite family traditions were started when the children were younger, and they have stood the test of time. Patsi elaborates, “We have pigs in a blanket every Christmas morning for breakfast. The kids love it. We open our gifts on Christmas morning, and Santa still comes and leaves presents and fills stockings.” The Walkers always attend a church service at midnight on Christmas Eve, and they do their best to decorate the tree together, something that is still important to their children. Another important tradition that the Walkers have continued involves helping those less fortunate in the community. Every Christmas, the Walker children each pick a family from a charity organization. They sponsor that family and purchase Christmas gifts for them to ensure that they have a special holiday season.
Walker family traditions can be found even in the plentiful decorations that grace their home during the holidays. Patsi explains, “Our daughter, who is our youngest, probably loves Christmas more than anyone you’ve ever known. We started her at a young age and gave her a piece of Snow Village every year. Her favorite thing to do during the holidays is put her village on display, and it takes her a very long time. Our boys collected nutcrackers so we have quite a collection of those as well. Our daughter was in The Nutcracker for many years, and she also collected nutcracker ornaments.” These decorations are not just random items that caught the eye of Kirk or Patsi. The beauty of the accumulation of all of these holiday items is that each decoration is connected with a special moment or activity and can trigger a priceless family memory.
If you are lucky enough to attend one of the Walkers’ parties during the holidays, you can take a trip through the family’s own holiday memories while you enjoy the beautiful decorations and exceptional company in their warm and cheerful McCallie home.