Obituary of Gary L. Walton

Gary L. Walton died peacefully at home on January 14, 2010 after a brief but valiant battle with cancer. Gary was born September 6, 1931 in Dryad, WA, to Kenneth and Lena Walton. He moved with his parents and older brother Keith to Tacoma, where he attended Mason Elementary, Stewart Jr. HS, and Lincoln HS. Gary treasured fond memories of bowling with the "Whiz Kids" at Lincoln before joining the Army to serve his country. Gary was well-known for his values of hard work, personal accountability, and simple living. He was a very patient and caring man. He enjoyed fishing and hunting with his brother Keith for many years. His love of sports included bowling (200 average), golf (legendary holes in one), and playing cards with friends and family (tournament champion 3 years in a row), and in his later years walking 3 miles, 7 days a week. After overcoming colon cancer in 1985, Gary retired from Kaiser Aluminum and hit the links daily. He followed his doctor's nutritional advice and enjoyed a happy, healthy, fit life. Gary's card smarts and competitive spirit will be deeply missed. The children are considering publication of the many crossword reference books that he catalogued and painstakingly developed over the years as a tribute to his intellect and passion. Gary is survived by his devoted wife Celine; his bowling/golfing/ fishing and hunting nemesis/ buddy/older brother, Keith (Lee); his grateful children Rendy (Christine), Gene (Tracy), and Cindy (Frederick); his eight loving grandchildren John, Kenny, Dena, Matthew, Mark, Fred ("Tony"), Jessica and Lee; and his three energetic great-grandchildren, Caleb, Cole and Celtan. A memorial service to celebrate Gary's life will be held at 11:00AM on Thursday, January 21, 2010, at Temple Baptist Church, 1108 Columbia Ave., Fircrest, WA 98466. The family would like to thank Multicare Good Samaritan Hospice for their loving and skilled care and asks that any donations in Gary's memory be made to: Multicare Good Samaritan Home Health & Hospice, PO Box 5200, MS/3901-1-HH, Tacoma, WA 98415.