Wally Z. Walters, age 91, of Primrose Path, Gloucester, Virginia, died peacefully of heart failure on April 3, 2022. Wally was born and grew up in Sewickley, Pennsylvania. After graduating from the University of Cincinnati, he earned two Ph.D. degrees, in Chemical Engineering and in Organic Chemistry, from the Institute of Paper Chemistry in Appleton, Wisconsin. For several years, he was an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve.
His research revolutionized production of paper, shifting from batch to continuous flow processing. He subsequently invented new types of paper for use in copying machines, as frozen food containers, as automobile interiors and more, touching millions of lives every day. As a registered engineer and paper company executive, he oversaw development of several paper manufacturing plants, providing livelihood for thousands of people in multiple communities. For many years he was Executive Vice President, and then Vice Chairman of the nation’s largest privately-held pulp and paper corporation.
Over two decades, he and his wife built a 50-foot sailboat and subsequently lived aboard for several years, sailing throughout the Caribbean and Scandinavia. After residing in many places throughout the Northeastern U.S., they settled in Gloucester, Virginia, in 1991. Locally, Wally belonged to the Gloucester Rotary and Ruritan clubs, and supported the annual Daffodil Festival. A 32nd Degree Mason and a Shriner, he was a member of Gloucester’s Botetourt Lodge #7. He enjoyed woodworking, fishing, training birddogs, and building aerobatic model airplanes.
Wally was predeceased by his wife of 67 years, Mary Snider Walters, in 2020. He is survived by sons, Wally and William; daughter, Jordan, and granddaughter, Victoria.
The Rev. Sven vanBaars, rector of Abingdon Episcopal Church, will lead an in-person and virtual celebration of Wally’s life on Tuesday, April 12, 2021, from 11-11:30 a.m. To view live-streaming of the service visit https://www.abingdonchurch.org/ and choose the site’s YouTube link.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Boys Home of Virginia, 414 Boys Home Road, Covington, Va. 24426.