“That name goes back four generations”: Paul Walker’s brother makes a touching tribute
Almost a decade after the world lost Fast & Furious star Paul Walker, his younger brother Cody Walker has paid heartfelt tribute with the birth of his third child.
Cody and his wife, Felicia, welcomed their son on April 30, with People magazine reporting that he weighed in at 7lbs 5oz. Felicia took to Instagram on May 2 to make an announcement, too, declaring that they’d had a boy, and writing “welcome to the clan, Barrett”.
Many took this as confirmation of his name, and rushed to congratulate the family on their new addition. Felicia had shared a picture of the newborn in the arms of his big brother, Colt, with the announcement, and fans were delighted to note that he was the image of a proud older sibling, beaming from ear to ear.
However, People magazine have now revealed that there was more to the story, and that the newborn Walker’s name is even closer to his father’s heart than anyone had anticipated.
It was a day after his birth that Cody and Felicia reached their decision, declaring their son’s name to be Paul Barrett Walker - naming him after Cody’s late brother.
"This November will mark 10 years since we lost my brother, Paul,” Cody told the publication, “and I just felt now was the appropriate time.”
He went on to share that he and their other brother - Caleb - were “both done having children”, and that the name held special meaning to all of them.
“My brother, Paul, was Paul William Walker IV and that name goes back four generations,” he explained. "Within the family, he went by ‘little Paul’ or ‘Paul 4,’ even though he quickly outgrew our father in height.
“It was important to me to have that name carry on.”
It isn’t the only move Cody has taken towards honouring his brother, having teamed up with Tyrese Gibson and Chris Lee to bright FuelFest to life - an automotive and motorsports festival showcasing car culture, with a portion of profits going towards Paul’s nonprofit Reach Out WorldWide, something that Cody views “as a part of Paul that he left behind.”
And in an echo of his message regarding his new son’s name, he noted that “it’s important to so many to see that part of his legacy live on.”
And Paul’s daughter, Meadow, has made her own moves towards furthering her father’s legacy, with a cameo appearance in Fast X - the tenth instalment in the Fast & Furious franchise.
“For me, this is super exciting,” she said of her involvement, “and he would be amazed that this is happening.”
Images: Instagram, Getty