It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Walter Fisk Giersbach at the age of 81. Walter passed peacefully at Community Memorial Hospital on Friday, January 22nd. After a week-long stay for treatment for kidney failure, his heart gave out, and he went on to join the love of his life, Judy Giersbach, who passed away in 2014. Walter was born in Chicago, Illinois on August 8, 1939. He was raised in Forest Grove, Oregon, moved to South Pasadena, California, in 1952, and relocated with his family to Montclair, New Jersey, in 1953. He graduated from Montclair High in 1957. Walter spoke of his days growing up on the campus of Pacific University, where his father was President, with great fondness. He shared many stories of his first paper route and running wild on the campus of beautiful, huge Oak trees.
He graduated from Grinnell College (Iowa) in 1961 with a major in comparative literature and a concentration in English-journalism. After spending a summer as a reporter on the Hinsdale, Illinois, Doings in 1960, he was employed as a writer-editor with Mobil Travel Guides in Bloomfield, New Jersey.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army as a security analyst in 1961, trained in Fort Dix, Fort Devins, and Fort Meade (National Security Agency) before being assigned to units in South Korea and Taiwan, rising to SP/5 (E-5) before being discharged in 1964. While stationed in Taiwan, he met Judy (Hsiu-Yen Ho). After six months back in the States, Walt realized that he had left the love of his life behind and returned to Taiwan where they were married. He and Judy lived in New York City together until son, William, was nine and daughter, Lisa, was five when they moved and made a home in Jackson, New Jersey. Soon after, they welcomed Judy’s family from Taiwan, and their family grew to include nieces, Su-hwa Brownlie and Suzanne Ho, and nephews, John and James Ho, and Judy’s mother.
During their time in New Jersey, Walt continued to make the 90 minute commute into New York City every day. He was Director for Internal Communications for the Dun & Bradstreet Corporation, where he had been employed since 1969. In the mid-90s, Walt transferred to the RH Donnelley Corporation offices in Purchase, New York, and he and Judy bought a home in Bethel, Connecticut. Walt felt like he was returning to his family’s New England roots, and they enjoyed antiquing, hiking, and landscaping their wonderful property up on Winding Brook Road. Connecticut became the new family homestead as their children would travel to visit from New Jersey and the Boston area.Walt retired in 1998, and he and Judy celebrated with a cross country trip in their Dodge Caravan. They visited the National Parks, stopped at interesting sites, and visited family and friends out in California. In his retirement, he helped publicize the Connecticut Film Festival and managed publicity programs for Western Connecticut State University Haas Library. In 2007, Walt and Judy moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to spend a year caring for a new grandson, and then returned to New Jersey in 2008 to finally settle down in Manchester. Walt, never one to be idle, began to moderate a writing group under the auspices of the public library and acted as a board member of the United Church of Christ-Toms River. He continued his passion for writing and published numerous short stories with various on-line publications and was a columnist and writer for his River Pointe community publications.Walt will be remembered for his writing and his ever-present wit. He was quick with a joke, a funny story, or a tall tale. His stories will live on with his family and friends, and trips to the Laurita Winery, outings on the Cape May Lewes Ferry, and walks on the Point Pleasant Boardwalk will never be the same without him. He is survived by his children, William and Lisa Giersbach, their spouses, Tracey Giersbach and Eric Kramer, their children, son, William M. Giersbach, his wife Andrea Giersbach; daughter, Megan E. Johnson, her husband Michael Johnson, and Zeke Kramer. And it cannot go without saying that Walter amassed a family beyond this in his relationships with Juan Aguayo and his wife Edith Moya, who helped care for him in his final days.With love and honor, Walter will always be remembered and terribly missed. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, a donation be made in honor of Walter to his church: the United Church of Christ Toms River, 1681 Ridgeway Rd., Toms River, NJ 08757 (732-244-4014).
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