Date of Birth:
Saturday, January 1, 1938
Date of Death:
Friday, May 1, 2015
Age:
77 years old

John C. Walter

John Clement Walter, 77 of Byron, passed away Friday, May 1, 2015 at his home.

John Walter was born January 1, 1938, in Hodgeman County, Kansas, to parents Wilbur and Josephine (Riedl) Walter. He grew up on a wheat and cattle ranch near Jetmore, KS, and graduated from Hodgeman County Community High School in 1956. He was active in sports and FFA, receiving the FFA State Farmer Award in 1956. He graduated from the Electronics Institute Inc. School in December 1958 and went to work for IBM in 1959 in Kingston, NY. In 1976 he transferred to Rochester, MN, as a Development Programmer on the System 38. He retired September 1, 1992, and worked as a supplemental employee for another 7 1/2 years. Following retirement he started a retirement hobby business, John’s Tackle Service, repairing fishing tackle.

He played fast pitch softball for 17 years in Kansas City, Missouri and Lansing, Illinois, and played soft pitch softball after moving to Minnesota. He coached and umpired little league baseball in Lansing, Illinois, for 12 years and youth baseball in Byron for 4 years.
He was active in delivering Meals On Wheels for Family Service Rochester, an active member of Bethel Lutheran Church, and was a member of the Walleye Searchers of MN fishing club for 15 years.

He married KarenWinkler in 1959 and was later divorced. John married Judy Wade Dornack in 1980 and they recently celebrated their 35th anniversary.

He is survived by his wife, Judy, of Byron; daughters Sharyl (Al) Alm of Bloomington; Holly (Sulo) Kyyra of Cannon Falls; sons Craig Walter of Huntsville, Alabama, Brett Dornack of Lowell, Indiana, and Curtis (Julie) Walter of Rochester; grandchildren: Brittany Dornack of Minneapolis, Katie (Hussein) Basree of Rochester, Jessica Walter of Holmen, Wisconsin, Brad (Leigha)Westphal of Rochester, Eric and Bryan Alm of Bloomington, Madison Dornack of Lowell Indiana, Timothy and Ruby Kyyra of Cannon Falls, Jessica Ihrke of Rochester and Jadea (Siroos) Abolahrari of St. Louis, MO, and four great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, a son, Charles Walter, a sister Lois Belote, and daughter-in-law Debra Dornack.

A funeral service will at 11:00am, Tuesday, May 5, 2015 at Bethel Lutheran Church with the Rev. Anjanette Bandel officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Burial will be at Oakwood Cemetery.

Online condolences are welcome at www.mackenfuneralhome.com.