posted 09-17-2008 09:30 AM               

The suit from Walker's fourth, and final, space-shuttle mission (Endeavour, Sept. 7-18, 1995) was unveiled during a dinner marking David Walker Day in Eustis and honoring the Eustis High School graduate's life and accomplishments. The dinner was attended by more than three dozen Walker family members. Walker died of cancer in 2001 at age 56.

The unveiling took place Friday at the Eustis Senior Center. The exhibit is part of a permanent David Walker exhibit at the museum. Museum hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. the first Saturday of the month.

"That was the big unveiling" at the Walker dinner, museum curator Wendy Houdek Erskine said. "Everybody gasped. It was great. Everybody was very excited to see that." She called the flight suit, which came from Johnson Space Center in Houston, "a very nice addition to the museum. It's something that we've been wanting to have here for about a year."