Walter A Conklin

Walter was strong in body, mind, and spirit; he awed all who met him due to his beautiful heart and incredible intelligence. A loving husband, father, and son, his legacy includes a wife of 32 amazing years, Aileen, and their three beautiful sons: Ethan, Logan, and Justin. He is also survived by his loving mother, Hortensia Conklin, and sister, Annette Hungler. They all will continue to honor him through their charitable acts and engagement with the world as he had done his entire life.

Second only to enjoying life with his family and friends, Walter’s greatest passion was writing music and playing his acoustic guitar. With the help of a close producer friend, over the past four years Walter was finally able to accomplish one of his biggest dreams: completing and recording both old and new songs he had written and composed. We are so grateful he was able to see this dream become reality the day his first song, “Ordinary Guy”, was completed and made available on Spotify and other streaming platforms. You can find these songs under his full name, Walter Alexander Conklin. It was truly wonderful he was able to complete these songs before his ability to play was impacted by his illness.

Walter was also a mechanical engineer with FIU and a community leader with the Boy Scouts of America. At FIU, he was an integral part of the Wall of Wind hurricane simulation program since the project's inception and coordinated the development and design of the entire system. He worked closely with industry clients and mentored students to help them set and achieve their testing and research goals. Walter’s efforts have been crucial for the success of the Wall of Wind in getting funded by the National Science Foundation. To say he will be missed by his colleagues will be an understatement.

When it comes to his involvement in Scouting, Walter joined Boy Scouts of America in 2000 as a proactive way to be with his three sons. He served as Cubmaster for Cub Scout Pack 610 as well as Pack 615 when all three boys were little. Afterwards, he transitioned to Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 10 when his sons advanced into the program. Whether through volunteering or high adventure he played an important role in Scouting for over 20 years and has left a positive impact on many scouts and their families.

Walter lived his life to the fullest — packed with new experiences and perspectives. He taught all who knew him to love life as he did: unconditionally and without restrictions. Most of all, Walter showed all who knew him kindness and compassion. Our loss will be felt by many, in the sounds of one less bird singing, one less breeze, one less beautiful cloud on a sunny day. We are sad because we will miss him dearly, but are consoled knowing that we will all be reunited one day.

To our everything but "Ordinary Guy": we will love and miss you forever.