Gary Walter

Gary Walter, age 72, of Houston, MN, passed away unexpectedly on August 12, 2024, while visiting family in Huntersville, North Carolina.

He was born July 18th, 1952 in Racine, Wisconsin to the late Vera and Albert Walter Sr.  He was a grandson of Yugoslavian immigrants and enjoyed extended family gatherings with them and loved all the delicious dishes, pita and baklava made by his aunts. He attended a one room schoolhouse and had many adventures with his friends in the countryside. He graduated from J.I. Case High School, Racine, WI.

After many motorcycle adventures and time spent hunting and fishing out west, he settled in La Crosse, Wisconsin where he met his true love, Marie. He converted to Catholicism and they married in the Catholic Church and celebrated 45 years of marriage together. They loved socializing, traveling, golfing, curling and playing pool together.  They bought their first home on the Valley High Golf Course where they made so many memories as a family. He adored his children, Daniel, Keli, and Shannon and spent many hours on the golf course teaching them to pitch and putt and how to master such a challenging game.  Their greatest memories were spent taking golf cart rides at sunset and watching the animals  come out and looking at the constellations that he would point out.

Gary constantly inspired those around him through his remarkable work ethic and dedication to his family.  He was a master craftsman and woodworker and ran his own company until he later pursued a career at Kwik Trip where he worked for nearly 30 years in Store Engineering.

He had a love for music, the arts, nature and photography.  Gary captured a lifetime of memories on Polaroid film. Among his other interests, he spent time gardening and would take his children on hikes in the country where he would spend countless hours pointing out the different birds, flowers, trees and sounds of the woods. Oh, how impactful those memories would become.  He dedicated his free time to his children and continuously encouraged them to pursue their dreams.  His pursuit of knowledge never stopped.  He loved learning about the world and was always filling his mind with fascinating facts about history or the universe.

He was a man of character and integrity. He was a devout Catholic and loved the beauty of the Cathedral of St. Joseph the Workman in La Crosse.

He meant the world to his wife and children and they are heartbroken by his sudden and unexpected passing. He will be remembered for being a loving husband, father and grandfather with a heart of gold.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Albert and Vera Walter Sr., and sister Judy Terwilliger.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Marie, and their son, Daniel (Kendra) Walter, daughters, Keli (Ryan) Luecke, and Shannon (Philip) Gingerich and three grandchildren: Violet and Alice Walter and Indy Gingerich; his brother Al (Sue) Walter, Jr.; and sister Wendy Jacobsen.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, August 20th, 2024 at 10am, at the Cathedral of St. Joseph the Workman, 530 Main Street, La Crosse. Visitation will be from 9:00am until the time of the Mass. A burial will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery.