WALTER, Alexander (Dean)

The Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona Saturday, November 06, 2010 Alexander (Dean) Walter, 96, passed away on Oct. 26, 2010, in Prescott, Ariz. He was born on Jan. 15, 1914, in Pittsburg, Pa. Dean attended Penn State and then joined the Navy as a Navy Pilot and later retired from civil service. He is preceded in death by his wife, Virginia. Dean is survived by his children, Karen Kent of Sutherlin, Ore., Robert Walter of Redding, Calif., Cathy Klein of Prescott, Ariz., Tom Walter of Prescott, Ariz., and Mark Walter of Christchurch, New Zealand; 17 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren. The family held a private service for Dean on Oct. 31, 2010. Hampton Funeral Home was entrusted with the arrangements. A Final Tribute to "Papa Dean" We all knew Papa Dean as a bright-minded and charming individual. Though his memory was tinged, his personality radiated through everyone's heart. No one thing could ever put him down. He kept toughing it out and never gave up. Papa Dean was the kindest and most thoughtful person we have ever had the luck of knowing, let alone being related to him. His life was full of experience that we have come to admire. Some of the most cherished memories of him were from his stories. How he flew Pop Warner in his piloting years. His amazing baseball experiences as a kid. And the gripping eleven-page story of the battle on the U.S.S. Gannet. My grandpa's humor was one of a kind and could put a smile on anyone's face. He was one of the most polite and courteous people to walk this earth. If there was a day I'd ever seen him angry then pigs seriously must fly. Alexander Dean Walter Jr. will always have a place in our hearts and, to me, I will always remember him as "My Dear Grandpa." - By Jason Dean Clustka, great-grandson, age 12 Information provided by survivors.