John C. Walter, 76, a resident of Montesano, died at Grays Harbor Community Hospital, Aberdeen, Monday, November 12, 2012. He was born in Ontario, Oregon, April 16, 1936, the son of Charles and Athena (Miller) Walter. The family moved to Colville, WA in 1949 and John graduated from high school there in 1954.
After high school he joined the Army and was deployed into the Redstone missile program. Following his discharge, John served in the Marine Reserves. He had moved to Renton, WA and worked for Boeing specifically on 747 wing mechanism repair, flying to the far corners of the world to return damaged planes to service.
During this time at Renton he met Barbara Brannon and they were married in Colville on November 3, 1970. She survives at the family home in Montesano.
John returned to the family farm near Addy in Northeast Washington where he also worked in construction, building logging roads, being a “Powder Monkey” and heavy equipment operator for Tripp Construction of Colville. In the 1988 they moved to Lake Quinault where he and his wife, Barbara, worked at Brannon’s Grocery. They returned to Addy in 2006 before coming to Montesano in September 2012.
While in Addy, John and Barbara bred and raised Appaloosa horses and belonged to the Appaloosa Horse Club. He also enjoyed woodworking, building yard decorations, wishing wells, planters and wheelbarrows out of wood.
Besides his wife, Barbara at the family home in Montesano, John is survived by a son: Duane Leick, Twin Falls, ID; six daughters: Victoria Morrison (Buck Colvin) and Cheryl (Nathan) Anderson, Addy, WA, Tina Anderson, Valley, WA, Jonni (Derek) Lisherness and Athena (Barry) Stenback, Montesano and Donna Walter (Clayton Brundage), Bonnie Lake, WA; two sisters: Barbara Chester, Wenatchee and Lorna Hanna, Brookings, OR; and also 13 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren.
A celebration of his life is being planned for December. An announcement will appear in the Daily World.
A card of condolence with a message may be sent to the family at www.fernhillfuneral.com
Arrangements were entrusted to Fern Hill Funeral Home, Aberdeen.
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