Walter Paul Alina

Walter was born July 3, 1931, in Vienna, Austria. At the age of 7, Walter fled the Nazi regime and relocated together with his parents Lily & Hans Alina to Finland. He then immigrated to the United States in 1940, settling in New York City and later moving to the Weequahic section of Newark. At the age of 23 he married the love of his life Lucille, and together they eventually settled in Fords before moving to the Fairways in Lakewood 19 years ago.

Walter received his BS degree in Chemistry from Seton Hall University in 1956. He obtained a Certificate in Metallurgy from the Newark College of Engineering in 1962.

Walter served as a Plating Engineer for RCA from 1958 to 1973. He developed multiple processes in Metallurgy and filed for several patents. He developed a highly technical process relating to making televisions more affordable. This was a major patent which was filed in 16 countries.

From 1977 to 2001, he served as the Vice President of General Magnaplate Corporation in Linden, NJ. Walter worked on developing metal coatings for NASA, particularly to be used for the Moon and Mars projects.

In 1992 he discovered an error in the Guiness Book of World Records. This correction placed General Magnaplate's Hi-T-Lube into the 1995 edition for having the highest coefficient of friction of any material, replacing Teflon. In 1996 Walter and General Magnaplate developed coatings for Jack Nicklaus’ golf clubs which increased the distance performance of the clubs. He received a personal letter of thanks from Jack along with a complementary set of clubs for his efforts.

In 1972, he received the Frank E. Lane Industrial Award for meritorious accomplishments in the electro-finishing field. In 2015, he was inducted into the NJ Inventors Hall of Fame as Inventor of the Year for lifetime achievements in electroplating. Walter published 45 technical papers, developed a mathematical equation to determine density, and was responsible for some major advances in aerospace technology.

Walter was a master bridge player and taught bridge at the Fairways. He was an accomplished pianist, and can be heard playing on YouTube. Walter was a member of the Electroplaters Society of New Jersey. He also served in the U.S. Army reserves.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Lucille; daughter, Ellen Ronsivalli and her partner John Coelho, son Ron Alina; daughter-in-law, Debbie Alina; grandchildren, Dana Raberov and her husband Alec, Stephanie Alina and her fiancé Dylan Small, Alexa Ronsivalli, and Brandon Alina; and several cousins.

Relatives and friends will be received on Tuesday, June 26, 2018 at 10 a.m. at the D'Elia Funeral Home, 1300 Vermont Avenue, Lakewood, NJ 08701. His funeral service will be conducted at 11:00 a.m. in the funeral home. Burial will follow in King Solomon Memorial Park, in Clifton, NJ. The family will observe Shiva at their home at Skylark Lane, Lakewood on Tuesday from 7 to 9 PM and both Wednesday and Thursday from 2 to 4 & 7 to 9 PM.

Please make donations in Walters's memory to the Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune, NJ or the American Cancer Society.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.DEliaFuneralHome.com for the Alina family.