Joseph Walkowski, 73
Joseph Alexander Walkowski, known to everyone as Joe, passed away on June 13, 2023, in Sandpoint, Idaho.
Joe was born in Heidelberg, Germany, on September 30, 1949, to Joseph A. Walkowski Sr. and Stella Irene Vitulla Walkowski.
Joe’s father was career military, so the family lived in many places throughout the world during his childhood before finally settling in Severna Park, Md. Joe attended and graduated Severn School in 1970. Joe attended the University of Delaware, where he earned a B.S., mechanical engineering degree in 1971. Joe then attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where he earned a J.D. law degree. Joe then attended Oklahoma City University and received his M.B.A. with high honors.
Joe worked as a patent examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Va., from 1972 through 1975. He then went into private practice as a civil litigation attorney in Annapolis, Md., from 1975 through 1979. Wanting a career change, Joe went to work as a patent attorney for Halliburton Energy Services in Duncan, Okla., from 1979 through 1987. Joe was presented with the opportunity to be chief patent counsel for Eastman Christensen Company in Salt Lake City, Utah, from 1987 through 1990. When Eastman Christensen was sold, Joe decided to go back into private practice for the patent law firm of Trask Britt in Salt Lake City, where he served as general counsel from 1990 to the present day.
Joe was repeatedly recognized as one of the best lawyers in America in the field of patent law, as well as one of the Intellectual Asset Management 1000, and first-tier in Chambers, USA. He was also named repeatedly by Mountain States Super Lawyers and among the Utah Legal Elite by Utah Business Magazine. He was the 2017 sole Utah recipient of the Client’s Choice Award and was selected as one of the IAM Strategy 300 on an ongoing basis.
Joe was admitted to the Maryland Court of Appeals, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the Oklahoma Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the Utah and U.S. District Court, District of Utah.
Joe loved living in the West and was an avid fly fisherman and snow skier. He enjoyed spending time on the lake at his vacation home in Sandpoint, Idaho.
Joe is survived by his wife of 33 years, Cynthia (Cindy) Walkowski; and his daughter, Whitney Gdanski, her husband, David Gdanski; and grandson, Joel David.
A memorial service celebrating Joe’s life will be held at a future date.
Lakeview Funeral Home is handling the arrangements. Please visit Joe’s online memorial at www.lakeviewfuneral.com and sign his guestbook.