Walter C Gansser

Walter “Walt” Carl Gansser, 79, Marietta, GA passed on to his next adventure on July 5, 2023. Born in Summit, New Jersey on February 10, 1944, Walt was the only child of Carl and Bertha Gansser who were both German immigrants following World War I. He graduated from Bowling Green State University in 1967 with a degree in Business Administration. Walt played football, lacrosse and was most proud of being an original member of the BGSU ice hockey team that converted from a club sport to an NCAA squad. Known as Gator, Walt continued to stay connected to his teammates. He pursued his love of the game after college while entering the corporate world.

In 1975, he joined The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta as a Human Resources executive beginning as Director of Global Staffing. Walt was happy to tell you that he hired many of the executives that went on to lead the company. During his Coke years, he was a member of the Grace Commission under the Reagan Administration which recommended best practices in the streamlining of government. He was known and regarded highly for a team building program he helped design. Hundreds of Coca-Cola employees attended Spark which was like an outward bound experience in north Georgia. Walt was an avid hunter and fisherman who led frequent trips to Canada with his family and friends.

Walt had a major role in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games where he coordinated the volunteers who ran the Olympic swimming and diving venue. It was during the preliminary Olympic planning that he was teamed with his wife Vicki who also worked for Coke. They were married in 1995 and shared a wonderful and loving life together enjoying many times at their favorite beach in Florida among their travels.

After retiring from the Coca-Cola Company, Walt spent several years as a career transitioning coach and played an important role in helping so many find their value in life again. Always there with a smile to encourage the people around him, he created laughter with his incredible sense of humor. He was constantly making to-do lists and always had several pro-jects underway.

Walt’s strong will supported him as he surged through treatment for leukemia diagnosed last July. He had the good fortune of celebrating 10 months in remission before the disease returned. He lost his battle after suffering a stroke.

Walt loved and was extremely proud of his family.

He is survived by his wife Vicki Verdery Gansser, daughter Michelle (Mimi) Still, (Hal), son Matt Gansser (Kristina), grandchildren Ethan Still, Riley Still, Emmi Gansser, and Addi Gansser. He is also survived by first wife Carol Gansser, the mother of his children.

Celebration of Life Services for Walter Gansser will be held on Saturday, July 22, 2023 at 11AM from the HM Patterson and Son-Canton Hill Chapel, 1157 Old Canton Road NE, Marietta, GA 30068.These services will be recorded and streamed live. If the event is interrupted at any time due to technical issues, the entire event will be uploaded and available to view later in the day. Please copy and paste the link to share, or simply click on the link to view the event. https://vimeo.com/event/3553322

In Walt’s memory donations may be made to the Atlanta Humane Society.