Leroy Willis Wolter

Leroy “Roy” Wolter, age 99, passed away on Wednesday, August 21, 2024. Roy was born in Hull, Iowa. He graduated from Hull High School and entered the US Army Air Corp in June 1943 during World War II. There, he worked in electronic (radar) counter measures on the B24 bombers in the 494th Bombardment Group, or “Kelly’s Cobras”, in the South Pacific (Anguar, Palau Islands and Okinawa) until January 1946. He returned to Hull, Iowa upon discharge.

Roy worked to put himself through college. He attended Sioux Falls College and then the University of Iowa from January 1947 to June 1950. He graduated with a B.A. in Psychology. He then spent several years working in the insurance industry, which sent him to West Virginia, Chicago, and subsequently Sacramento in 1955. He started an insurance agency in Sacramento but decided to go back to graduate school at CSU Sacramento, so he took a position with the California Youth Authority. He earned his Master’s degree in Psychology in June 1960. While still attending school, Roy became a Probation Officer. After graduation, Roy was hired by the Sacramento Superior Court as a psychologist and Mental Health Counselor, where he screened requests to commit the mentally ill, alcoholics, drug addicts, and sexual offenders to State Mental Hospitals. He was also appointed as acting Jury Commissioner and Juvenile Traffic Hearing Commissioner for the Court. Roy lectured at local colleges, high schools, service clubs, and private organizations. He worked to help develop many of the mental health and substance abuse programs still available today in Sacramento. He also started a part-time private practice in 1961 as a family and individual therapist and performed hypnotherapy. Roy later worked as staff Psychologist for the Sacramento County Probation Dept and Sacramento Sheriff’s Dept. While with the Sheriff’s Dept, Roy was the Coordinator of Rehabilitation Services where he created programs for inmates to help them reacclimate back into society when released from jail. He was also Staff Psychologist. In addition, he also conducted investigative hypnosis on victims of and witnesses to crimes in order elicit additional information regarding the crimes. Roy served on numerous community boards, including the Volunteers of America organization, Alcohol Problems Division, from 1973-1980. In addition, he worked as a medical manager for several insurance companies on Worker’s Compensation cases. During this time he returned to school again and received his Ph.D in Psychology from the Professional School of Psychology in San Francisco in 1980. He also received his Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling Psychology degree the same year. After retirement from the County of Sacramento in 1980, Roy went to work for the State Dept of Health to provide alcoholism treatment services. In 1990, Roy got his Notary Public commission certificate and went to work for his good friend Ken Roberts at Onshore Leasing Corporation and Occidental Petroleum as an oil and gas lease agent. He finally retired for good in 2013, at the age of 88!

Roy married Nancy Nuttal from Des Moines, Iowa in 1950. They had one daughter, Sherilyn. Roy and Nancy divorced in 1955. In 1958, Roy married Dolores “Dorie” Scoonover Sweikert in Sacramento. They had one son, Randy. Roy and Dorie divorced in 1966. They remarried again in 1969 for a short time before divorcing again in 1971. Roy later met Susan Ferrolo in Sacramento and they were together for more than twenty years until her death in March 1998. Roy has two grandchildren, Carrie and Tim Wolter (wife Chelsie Lott Wolter) and one step-grandchild, Allan Platner (fiancé Bria Ingle). Roy has two great grandchildren, Logan and Sophia Wolter, and two step-grandchildren, Dominic and Kylie Lott. Roy was predeceased by his parents, Henry John Wolter and Johanna Hermina “Myna” Brower Wolter, and sister Muriel Paul. He was a loving and dedicated son, brother, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and close and dedicated friend to many.

Roy enjoyed many leisure activities, including snow skiing, camping, fishing, boating and wine tasting. He was a member of Tamarack of Sacramento from 1965-2023 – a social/ski club where he enjoyed many friendships over the years. Roy loved people and was very social. He loved social gatherings for any occasion and especially enjoyed any opportunity to dress in costume. Roy never lost an opportunity to hand out stickers to all the women and children in his circles for every holiday year-round. He also loved to dance – the Jitterbug was his favorite. Roy also used his Psychology and Notary Public continuing education requirements to travel the world extensively.

Roy lived independently until his 96th year. He moved to Ansel Park Assisted Living in Rocklin, CA. He enjoyed competing and winning Corn Hole tournaments, attending Veterans club meetings, going on field trips for luncheons, sightseeing, theater plays, and listening to music with new friends in his assisted living community.

Roy used to say that his “sufficiency has been fully demonstrified” at the end of meals with family and friends. His favorite declaration now takes on new meaning -- his appetite for life has now been fully satisfied. May he rest in peace knowing he left a positive mark on all who knew him.

Roy will be missed by his family and his large community of friends.

He leaves us with this quote:

I shall pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore

I can do, or any kindness I can show to any human being, let me do it now,

let me not defer it or neglect it, for I may not pass this way again.

Funeral and Burial Services will take place at 11:30 AM September 28th, 2024, at the Court of Honors located in Mount Vernon Memorial Park at 8201 Greenback Lane, Fair Oaks, California 95628. Reception to follow.