- Date Of Birth: May 12, 1938
- Date Of Death: June 26, 2015
- State: Arizona
In the spirit of Teddy Roosevelt, his life was an adventure. Van Walter-husband, father, veteran, private and commercial pilot, business owner, chef, fisherman, traveler, a man of quick wit, practical jokes and laser-sharp one-liners-died at home on Friday, June 26, 2015, 77 years young. He wore many hats, paid for by his self-sacrifice and due diligence. Born on May 12, 1938 in Alliance, OH, Van attended Kent State University and was a graduate of the American Flyers flight school in Dallas, TX. His early career in aviation as a pilot for Braniff International Airways was interrupted when he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1962. He served at Floyd Bennett Field in New York, and one year on the DMZ line in Korea. In 1964, he married his best friend Marlene Heppert in Akron, OH and that’s when life really took off! They were married 51 years and raised two children together, Julie and Douglas. In 1988, they moved to Arizona where they made their home in Scottsdale’s McCormick Ranch.
