Louise Ellen Walinsky

Louise was born March 29, 1921, in LaGloria, Cuba. She was the fifth of eight children (Leona, John, Frances, Anita, Gloria, Helen, and Lauren) born to Anna Berberich and Leo Lust. The family lived for a while in Cuba, where Leo owned a lumber mill until the early 1920s, when they moved to Butler, NJ, and he established Excelsior Lumber Mill.

Her uncle, Benedict Lust, is known as the “Father of Naturopathy” in America. He founded the Yungborn health resort in Butler, where Louise worked as a young girl.

After high school, Louise worked as a secretary for a lawyer (Lawrence Eisenberg) in Butler, and then in New York City. She served in the Army Women’s Auxiliary Corps from 1945 - 1946. While on duty, she was stationed in the Asiatic Pacific Theater. Later as a civilian employee working in Austria, she traveled extensively from 1947-1949, visiting Italy, Czechoslovakia, and Belgium. Most importantly, she was able to visit her father’s hometown of Michelbach, Germany.

After her service and civilian job overseas, she settled in Washington, D.C., where she worked for the Department of Commerce and met her future husband, Edward Pius Walinsky. They were married on September 8, 1951.

After their son Edward Joseph was born in 1954, she stayed home to manage the household and tend to her beautiful garden. Always an animal lover, the family had first a Sheltie named Jebbie, then two Shelties – Tessie and Randy – and a cat named Crybaby. Later in life, Louise adopted two more Shelties, Maddie and Henry.

Louise was an avid bird watcher and voracious reader, especially of biographies and historical nonfiction. Although she downplayed her skills in the kitchen, her applesauce and Black Forest cake are legendary in the family (though her cake recipe infamously left out a critical ingredient – baking powder!). For her grandchildren, Louise was the German role model of strength, fortitude, and resilience. She was reserved and calm, except for when she let out the occasional German curse word.

Louise was predeceased by her husband and son, a family law attorney in Fairfax County. She is survived by three grandchildren: Lauren Walinsky Savoy (Tyler); Edward Quinton Walinsky (Tyler); and Sarah Louise Walinsky Peritz (Seth).

She will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery with her husband, but due to a long waiting list no date has been set yet. In recognition of her longtime support of animal rescue organizations, memorial donations may be made to the ASPCA.