David A. Walter

David Walter, artist, athlete, dancer, musician, perfectionist and relentless seeker of knowledge, died peacefully on March 18, 2019. He was 78.

David was born in Columbus, Ohio, to Reverend A.C. Walter and Marguerite Walter. He graduated from Swarthmore College in 1962 with a degree in civil engineering. While in school, he was an All-American lacrosse player and gifted wrestler.

After graduation, he worked for Bethlehem Steel in Minot, North Dakota, building missile silos. From 1964 to 1967 he served in the United States Coast Guard in Asia and the Hawaiian Islands. Starting in 1968, he searched for meaning at the Princeton Theological Seminary, where he came to admire the work of Carl Rogers and developed an appreciation for the art of active listening.

David was called back to Swarthmore in the 1970s to become a member of the Admissions Office for 25 years. While at Swarthmore, he took up painting seriously, becoming a successful portrait painter whose work hangs in countless institutions on the east coast.

Upon retirement, he moved into Philadelphia, where he continued to paint while also taking up Argentine Tango, and becoming a noted teacher in Eastern Pennsylvania. 

He was an accomplished piano, guitar and trumpet player. He learned to speak Mandarin.

Self-taught in nearly all of his life pursuits, David excelled at each.

Left behind are his two siblings John (Sandy) and Maggie (Vic, deceased); nephews Mike (Elizabeth) and Pete (Zandra); niece Julie (Fegens); and cousins Bernard, Chandler, and Ginny. David also leaves many dear friends, including Jackie, Michele, Jim, Chip, Joan, April, Jerry, Jean and Gary, Karen and Jeff, and Kathleen and Eck. 

There will be no viewing or service. A celebration of life dinner for family and friends will be held in May.

Donations

Please make any donations of remembrance in David’s name to your own favorite community that searches for meaning and understanding.

Arrangements by West Laurel Hill Funeral Home, Inc.