Walter Richard Koepp

Walt's first years were spent on the Oregon homestead with his parents and older sister, Marie.

When he was 5, his family moved to a chicken ranch in Alderwood Manor near Martha Lake. It was there that Walt began a lifetime love of the outdoors. As a young man he ran a trap line and hunted ducks on the shores of Martha Lake.

Walt married his sweetheart, Peggy Sather, when he was 19 and she had just turned 18. They met through a mutual friend at Martha Lake where Peggy's parents owned a summer cabin. Their wedding took place in Ballard, where Peggy lived with her family. Two sets of bridesmaids and groomsmen who met at the wedding later married each other, creating a close group of life long friends.

When he was a young man, Walt worked on a tugboat on Puget Sound and as a fire lookout for the forest service living in a lookout tower in the mountains of Oregon. After college, he and his good friend, Don Bakken, opened an ornamental iron shop in Lynnwood which became very busy and successful. Unfortunately, Walt was injured on the job and could no longer do the physical work necessary in the shop and was forced to sell his ownership in the business to Don. Walt then began the next chapter of his professional life in sales.

Walt began his sales career at J.E. Haseltine. He also worked for Industrial Air, Westinghouse and P&H Harnischfeger. In 1964 he was hired by Jack Shumway at General Welding Supply, a small business located on Marginal Way in South Seattle. Walt became the general manager and then owner of General Welding Supply. Under his leadership the business flourished and expanded to ten stores throughout Washington. When he sold the company in 1999 he retired from the business of selling to the business of playing golf nearly every day. His most frequent golf partner was his devoted wife, Peggy, to whom he was married for over 67 years.

Walt was a very active father and his children and grandchildren will have great memories of their time with him: his famous burnt eggs prepared over the campfire; making chowder with freshly dug clams including some elusive grains of sand; trying to keep dry in our canvas tent after one of us "knuckleheads" had brushed against the inside wall, causing the rain to leak through. He also taught us how to fish, how to hunt, how to drive a boat, how to pitch a tent, how to pound a nail, and the most fun of all, how to waterski which we did every day in the summer on Martha Lake. He also showed us the importance of hard work and responsibility and provided an excellent example of those values throughout his life. He taught us how to succeed through confident effort, and he reminded us to have fun.

Walt is survived by his very beloved and cherished wife, Margaret "Peggy;" his children, Steve (Betsy) Koepp and Teri (Rex) Jennings, both of whom have been devoted to their father and mother during Walt's illness, and another son, Kerry. Walt is also survived by his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Services will be held on Monday December 1, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. at Purdy&Walters at Floral Hills, 409 Filbert Road, Lynnwood, Washington.

Memorials may be made to The Nature Conservancy or Ducks Unlimited.