Walter Vockert

A veterinarian is expected to love and care for his animal patients, and Dr. Walter Phillip Ernst Vockert truly did. But Dr. Vockert cared even more for his animals' owners and empathized with them for a suffering or dying pet.

His family, friends, and clients all sensed his hard work, dedication, calmness, gentleness, and soft spokeness. Although devoted to his family, he was on-call for any emergency at any hour.

This approach accounted for his clinic office and kennel being always full.

He was born in Portland February 11, 1931, to German immigrants Walter and Marie Vockert who worked at Fairview Farms until April 1942 when they opened their Guernsey dairy farm at Corbett. They visited Germany when Walter was a toddler, and Walt returned to his mother's hometown of Roneberg, Germany with his own family in 1983, seeking and finding relatives. Walt's mother died in 1998.

Walt attended Fairview elementary school and Corbett grade school, and was graduated from Corbett high school in 1949 where he was all-league basketball forward during a 20-win season, played trumpet in the band, was student body president and valedictorian, all while working daily at the family farm. He won a scholarship to Oregon State University, joining Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, writing the lead sports column for the Barometer school newspaper, and being graduated in 1953 in agriculture. He was in ROTC and entered the Air Force as a lieutenant during the Korean War, serving in intelligence for two years in North Africa.

He returned to OSU for the final year of pre-vet study, and was graduated from Washington State University in 1961 at Pullman in veterinary medicine. He married Janet Ireland of Portland in August 24, 1957 at Zion Lutheran Church. She and Walter were with Dr. Percy Powers' Gresham Animal Clinic in 1961 until opening their own Halsey East Animal Clinic at 157th Avenue in 1968. They moved to Argay Terrace to rear children Stephen (now a veterinarian who carries on the clinic) and Susan (now the wife of Mike Burke and mother of Ethan, and a family practitioner for Clackamas Community Health). Janet died December 23, 1996, a new clinic planned by her opened in 2001, and Walter retired that year having married Penelope (Penny) Hannigan of Corbett in August.

Walter was a member of Portland and Oregon Veterinary Medicine associations, was still a Beaver fan, loved sports (including his son's high school games long ago), has been an avid jogger and bicyclist, golfed, gardened, still cared for animals at his new farm near Gresham, enjoyed classical music and photography. He is remembered as an example for toil, doing the right thing, treating people right, and devotion to his wife and children.

His only brother, Karl, of Corbett, has three children, J. W. "Hans" in the army, S. K. "Fritz" a firefighter in Alaska, and M. K. "Trina" in Germany in the Army.

He also leaves a lifelong friend, Clarence Mershon, and wife Colleen. Clarence authored several books about their area. Penny's children are son, Adam Hannigan, daughter My Le, and grandchildren Whitney and Brian.

Walter died at a Clackamas hospital December 5, following a stroke.

Services will be at Bateman Carroll Funeral Chapel, 520 W. Powell Boulevard, Gresham, at noon Monday, December 12, with private internment at Mountain View cemetery in Corbett.

Remembrances can be made to Dove Lewis clinic, 1945 NW Pettygrove Street, Portland, Oregon 97209; or Salem Friends of Felines, 980 Commercial Street S, Salem, Oregon 97302.