Tuesday, January 30, 2024
Andrea, Sonya, and Allison,
Sorry for your loss. Your dad (and your mom) were the best. And that comes truly from the heart as I and all his friends knew him to be just that, the best.
Last time I saw Wally was a few months ago. The thing I noticed most about him then, and the same as all throughout his life, was his modesty, his humility. I don’t think he ever used words like I, me, myself. No, he only seemed to care about the other person, their problems, their interests, everyone else but himself. That, as you all know, is a very rare quality, a character trait seldom found in people these days. I realized this many years ago, back in the late 60’s or early 70’s when my late wife, Myra, first introduced me to Judy, his beloved wife, a lady who worked in the same office at the Dept. of Health. The four of us quickly became friends. I say that now, especially, because he was a very sick man the last time, we talked yet he continued to be humble never once talking about himself and his health problems, always with that hypnotic smile. Only when I had to pry it out of him, with questions, would he consider addressing it. He was just being ‘Wally’ talking to me about my minor insignificant complaints. How could you not admire a person like that?
We did a lot of things together during the fifteen years we lived in Pasadena. Played hockey, softball, volleyball and floor hockey with Henry Hounsell’s fitness team. Every Christmas when the kids were young, we would celebrate at his house and at ours and get together with our good friend nurse Janet Howard Rose.
Ops, sorry for speaking for so long but there is so much I could say about one of the best friends I ever had and of those years we spent in Pasadena with them when our family was young, the best years of our life.
Wally, we will miss you, but we will never forget you and Judy and your wonderful family. Rest in peace, my peaceful friend, …Gene and Linda.