I was an Examiner with USADTA when Ray and Gerry invited me to Kansas City  for a medal test emamination.  I believe their first  Studio was on, my guess, 18 th street.   Then they found these two cottages up on a small hill and put a most unique touch to it.  A Dance Studio was constructed between the two cottages. The Walters lived in one cottage and the other was for visitors . There were two giant movie screens at the rear of the house  belonging to a drive- in theater. I made many visits to coach  at their venue.   I suggested to Ray that when various Coaches and Performers visit and make use of the cottage, that they autograph the bedroom wall.  It was nice to see the collection of autographs on the wall as I continued my visits.  I was very fond of the Walters family.  It was a joy to coach at their venue,. One afternoon, we went to a club for lunch. An enjoyable time, it was .   We returned to the studio . Then while coaching LeRoy,  Gerry walked over to open the door to their living room and saw Ray on the floor.  Hearing the scream we rushed to the living room.  I remember  trying to resusitate Ray,. The paramedics came and worked for about 40 muinutes.  Ray had passed.  That was a sad day.   I will always remember the gracious, loveable, Walters Family.       Fondly,   Vito Bertucci




Leroy, for over 30 years we worked side by side in the industry we loved so much. So much laughter, so many challenges and learning experiences. It was an honor to have worked with you and to call you friend. I will miss you so very much....

LeRoy, a man I was glad to call a friend,  was an incredibly caring, kind, and generous person with his time, energy, advice, humor, and encouragement.
Without his help, I wouldn't have cultivated the seeds of my passion for ballroom dancing as they have abundantly flourished.
Even more importantly -- LeRoy inspired, was a source of strength, and anchor point for me becoming a much better version of myself than I would have without him.
Thank You so very much and I treasure those times and memories with you.

Leroy was such an influential man in Michael's and my life. 
We remember so vividly retiring from competitive dancing in Florida at the USDC in 2002.. and where Leroy was the first organizer to ever invite us to judge (at the Heart of America). 
 It was kind of him, and such a comforting  feeling, that someone believed in us for the next stage of our career. 
Over the following years, as judges and then organizers, we always admired and tried to channel , his amazing "calmness under pressure" approach to life . 
We were honored to have him as the Chairman of Adjudicators (with the wonderful Ginny as Registrar) at our first (and every subsequent) Beach Bash events, and to work under him as judges at countless other events  around the country. He always made you feel at ease,so that you could focus on what was really important, doing the best job possible for the dancers.
 He never sweated the small stuff , nothing was a drama, and it made us all feel like everything was okay. 
We will always remember and miss that about him... but also do our best to try to emulate his approach in our own lives. 
We love and miss you Leroy,
Toni and Michael

LeRoy was a builder. he built trust, he built teams, he built everything with honesty, and integrity, and dedication to the art of dancing. Following in his parents legacy, he was incredibly generous  to people who wanted to take dancing to the next level. He gave me my first coaching job, my first judging job, my first Professional Show,  introduced me to his wonderful wife/partner,  Ginny and their wonderful son, Mark.  Trained me to become a Chairman of judges. Invited me to meet all of the Kansas City Dance community, how can you put a value on all that LeRoy offered so many people in our industry, so much of his time, his interest, and his  knowledge to benefit their careers?  

OBITUARY

LeRoy Wayne Walters

January 22, 1944 – January 8, 2021

Chapel Hill Funeral Home & Memorial Gardens

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