After a long illness, Walter passed away in hospice care on May 29, 2026. He was born in Lviv, Ukraine in 1931, and emigrated to the US with his parents in 1949. He graduated from Ohio Northern University in 1954 with a B.S. in civil engineering, specializing in design and bridge-building.
He had a distinguished 39-year career with HNTB. Major projects included three sections of the DC Metro system and a world-record steel bridge in Rio de Janeiro. He was Chief Engineer on the award-winning cable-stayed Dame Point Bridge in Jacksonville. He also authored many articles and technical papers.
He was an active member of the Plast Ukrainian scouting organization, and an avid sailor on FIFI, with many wins on the Chesapeake Bay and on the St. Johns River in Jacksonville. An expert skier, he met his future wife Marilyn Swann on a Washington Ski Club trip.
He co-coordinated the book Who Are We?, published in 2025, documenting the history of Ukrainian political emigration in the US and Canada.
Preceded in death by parents Peter and Eugenia Sharko, brother Oleksandr and sister Maria Nynka, he leaves behind Marilyn, his wife of 47 years, sister Theresa Ben, nieces, nephews and cousins, and a large extended family in Ukraine.
Donations in his memory may be made to:
Plast-Burlaky, (c/o D. Buzzetta, 73 Harding St., Blauvelt,NY 10913)
Parkinson’s Foundation, (1350 Broadway, Ste. 1530, New York, NY 10018)
