Walter was born on March 30, 1926, in Jacksonville, Florida and grew up there and in Augusta, Georgia. He went to Emory University with the Navy’s V-12 program, in pre-dentistry on a four-year scholarship.
At Emory he joined Sigma Chi and as an adult he served as President of the Sigma Chi House Corp. and was awarded the national Sigma Chi’s highest honor, the order of Constantine. Walter served as Class Councilman for over ten years and led his 20th class reunion at the Atlanta Playboy club, a shocker for staid Emory at the time. With Bishop Bevel Jones he co-chaired the 40th reunion of Emory’s war years’ classes.
After the war ended, Walter moved to Kingsport, Tennessee where his parents were transferred from Augusta and established the Allen Motor Co., which sold and financed new and used cars, managed Crown Enterprises which owned three Hertz franchises and leased new vehicles and brokered residential real estate. Kingsport Theater Guild named him “Actor of the Year” for his performance in “Arsenic and Old Lace”. In Kingsport, he had the good fortune to meet Ann Ferrell, who was a young accountant at Tennessee Eastman Company. They were married In Durham, North Carolina in 1954.
In 1958, Walter moved to Atlanta for the opportunity to manage the Italian Imported Car Corp. Along the way he invested in commercial and residential real estate. He became part owner of Industrial Credit Corporation, operating in Georgia and Alabama. He became President of Georgia Financial Services from 1968-1969 and President of Alabama Financial Services from 1978-1979. He was also awarded the Outstanding Service Award in 1985 from the Georgia association.
Walter joined Buckhead Rotary in 1966 under the sponsorship of John Wilson. He recruited/sponsored over 30 members. He was the President in 1970-71, served twice as Lieutenant Governor of District 6900, was selected as Rotarian of the year, served as District Chair for Interact, and led a group study exchange to India. He was a Paul Harris Fellow, Will Watt Fellow and an Otis Jackson Fellow. Walter had 56 years of perfect attendance.
Walter served as a member of the Atlanta/Fulton County Education Advisory Board, the Georgia Council on Economic Education, the governing boards of St. Phillip’s Cathedral and Cathedral Towers, the board of the Buckhead Business Association, and the Executive Committees of the Georgia and Alabama Financial Services Associations. He was the founding member of the Atlanta Cheap Club, the Holly Hills Croquet Club and the ROMEOs (Retired Older Men Eating Out).
Walter is survived by his loving wife, Ann Ferrell Allen, son, Robert Huntley Allen, daughter, Marian Elizabeth Allen Graham and son -in-law, Stan Graham, two granddaughters, Evelyn Ferrell Fagiola, Toni (Miguel)Fagiola Hernandez, three step-grandsons, Chase (Kayla) Graham, Austin Graham, and Cody (Lexi) Graham and two step-great granddaughters, Kennedy and Palmer Graham.
His service will be held on October 5, 2023, at H.M. Patterson & Son Arlington Chapel. Friends and family may gather starting at 12:00 pm with a Chapel Service to begin at 1:00 pm, interment to follow at Arlington Memorial Park.
In Lieu of Flowers, please contribute to
Buckhead Rotary Foundation
PO Box 12151
Atlanta, GA 30355
