Gale Sylvester Walters

Gale Sylvester Walters departed his earthly body to be with Jesus on April 10, 2023.  His loving family is convinced God broke the mold after Gale was born on July 15, 1937, in Powell, Wyoming to the late Elmer Sylvester and Maggie Lee (Shelor).  Gale’s older sisters spent many hours looking for another baby hidden in the bean field after they were told that’s where he was found.

Being born on a farm as the youngest of three children and only boy (his older sisters were Verlee Borcher and Donna Mae Muecke) shaped Gale’s formative years. The happy result was a lifetime of mischief, independence, and resourcefulness. He often spoke of playing baseball alone, along with his dog Snippy, and filling every position himself.

At the age of 14, Gale contracted Polio and was given only 24 hours to live.  Thankfully he beat the odds and went on to letter in football and track at Powell High School, setting numerous school records, and winning election as class president. It was at the same Powell High School Gale met the love of his life, Roberta (Bobbie) Walters.  They married in 1957.

After many years of farming with his father, Gale decided to forge new trails. He left the farm and began his long and illustrious career as a Radiologic Technologist. With his wife Bobbie and sons Stephen Sylvester (born 1958) and Timothy Robert (born 1961), the family moved to Glendive, Montana in 1966, where daughter Kristina LeAnn was born that same year.  The family then moved to Billings, Montana in 1967 where Gale worked at Deaconess Hospital for nearly 10 years. 

In 1976 the family moved to Corvallis, Oregon where Gale worked at Good Samaritan Hospital for 13 years.  Gale’s children all graduated from high school in Corvallis.  Their friends often commented they didn’t know what Gale looked like because he was always behind a video camera, capturing every single family event.  Gale leaves a mountain of VHS tapes as a recorded testament of his faithfulness to his children.

Gale and Bobbie moved to Centralia, WA in 1989, when Gale accepted a position at Washington Orthopedic.  He worked there for nearly 15 years, retiring in 2002 to fully focus on his new occupation of pestering his wife Bobbie. And while he excelled in his new role, he never ceased to tell his children frequently “your Mom is sure a classy lady” and “your Mom is so beautiful”.

Gale was an avid gardener, woodworker, and bird watcher. He loved taking his restored 1951 Chevy  “datin’ car” to auto shows and driving Bobbie (and a large “Sylvester the Cat” stuffed animal) around town in it showing them all off.  He was especially proud that his car was featured on a car magazine cover.

He never met an ice cream he didn’t like, loved sharing his bad Dad jokes with anyone who crossed his path, and was a consummate napper.

After over a decade long struggle with Alzheimer’s along with complications from his teenage bout with polio, Gale passed away peacefully at home in hospice care surrounded by loved ones on April 10, 2023.

Gale was pre-deceased by his beloved parents (Elmer and Maggie), sisters (Verlee and Donna Mae), eldest son (Stephen), and his dear puppy Becca.

Left with decades of fond and colorful memories are his wife Bobbie, son Timothy (Lonna), daughter Kristina, daughter-in-law Terry, grandchildren, Joshua Walters, Amanda Walters, Bethany (Jared) Doyle, Brittany (Andrew) Peterson, Anthony Walters, Stephen Juma. Great-grandchildren, Avery, Judah and Oakley Peterson, Amelia, Josiah and Ainsley Doyle.  The family is forever in debt to his many neighbors and friends for all their help and support help in recent years.

No flowers, please.

Donations may be sent to either:

Samaritan’s Purse

https://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/donate-online/

Alzheimers Association

https://www.alz.org/nca/donate

A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, May 6, at Stillwaters Estate Community Center, 2800 Cooks Hill Road, Centralia WA at 2:00 pm.

Everybody has a Gale story, and we'd love to hear them all. 

Ice cream will be served as Gale felt no get-together was complete without it.

To share a memory of Gale or send a condolence to his family please visit https://everloved.com/life-of/gale-walters/

A second a memorial will be held in Powell, Wyoming later this year. Gale’s earthly remains will be placed next to his Father and Mother.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Gale Sylvester Walters, please visit our floral store.