Walter was born in Dunluce, Bushmills, just making it in 1941 arriving 3 days before the end of that year. Growing up in Co. Antrim he went to school and around the age of 18, he enlisted in the Army opting to go to ‘The Queen’s Royal Irish Hussars’ along with some other lads from the Bushmills area.
Arriving in Germany after spending a wonderful time in delightful Catterick he exchanged this for the delights of Hohne! The next 6 years were spent in Germany, Aden, Persian Gulf, Malaya, Sarawak, Malaysia and Brunei. Then it was back to Germany and Wolfenbuttel a very enjoyable posting where he finally left the Army to go back home to Bushmills in 1966.
He married Selina and daughter Gail Marie was born in 1967, then a son Stephen Walter arrived in March 1969, followed by Connie in July 1971.
The onset of the troubles in Northern Ireland prompted Walter to enlist in the newly formed Ulster Defence Regiment in 1970 and he served till 1976. After a break, he rejoined and then served from 1983 to 1993. He was medically discharged in 1993. His service in the QRIH and the UDR was classed as exemplary.
Walter was awarded the GSM with Clasp for Borneo and a further clasp for Northern Ireland.
On Walter’s retirement, the couple sold the family home in Portbalintrea and built a new house on the outskirts of Bushmills, the North Antrim coast area that he loved so much.
Over the next 10 years, Walter liked nothing better than spending time with his family and 8 granddaughters. Rachel, Emma, Alison, Susan, Sarah, Holly, Chloe and Stephaine. Many hours were spent having fun with their granda, whom they all adored so much.
Walter then moved on to Ballymoney along with his wife Selina. Here he spent most of his time going to different parts of the county taking pictures of famous landmarks, photography was his newfound hobby.
Walter also liked to play golf at his favourite course Bushfoot in Portballintrae; here he would spend many hours enjoying the outdoors with a few of his close mates and his son Stephen. Walter also liked taking Selina on holidays to different locations, where the two of them spent many happy journeys together, whether it was somewhere in the sun or a trip to Donegal.
Walter was a great family man, his true love was his wife and family, and the time spent with them was the happiest.
Walter died on the 28th of January 2010.
