Paul Walker’s brother Cody Walker has given his newborn son the same name as the late actor. Cody, 34, was heartbroken when Paul – best known for his role as Brian O’Conner in the “Fast and Furious” franchise, died in a fiery car crash aged 40 a decade ago this year – and has now said he and his wife Felicia Knox have named their boy Paul after the tragic star.
“Paul Barrett (‘Bear’) Walker was born 7 lbs, 4 oz on Sunday, April 30, in Arizona,” People said about the arrival of the youngster.
Cody, who also has a five-year-old daughter and two-year-old son with his wife, then added to the outlet, “This November will mark 10 years since we lost my brother, Paul, and I just felt now was the appropriate time.”
“My brother, Caleb, and I are both done having children. My brother, Paul, was Paul William Walker IV and that name goes back four generations. 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.”
Cody is also helping to keep his brother’s memory alive through his involvement with FuelFest, which starts at the Irwindale Speedway, California, in June.
The motorsports festival celebrates car culture and also raises money for Reach Out Worldwide, a non-profit charity Paul established in January 2010 after seeing the aftermath of a massive earthquake in Haiti.
When Paul died, he had not finished filming his role in “Furious 7”, which was released after a series of rewrites and stand-ins – who included Cody and his brother Caleb.
Paul’s daughter, Meadow, who was 15 when her dad died, runs the Paul Walker Foundation in his memory and last year told Page Six about she watches his films for comfort, “They always say the first thing you forget about someone is their voice, so I’m fortunate enough to have his voice in many movies. I like to watch (his movies) at night. For me, it brings me joy to talk about him and keep his spirit alive.”
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