Walter Adrian Miner III

July 19, 1944 – April 14, 2026

Walter A. Miner III, born July 19, 1944 in the Bronx, New York, and raised in Elmwood Park, New Jersey, was a man of warmth, hard work, and an unshakeable ability to make friends wherever life took him. He passed away on April 14, 2026, in Asheville, North Carolina, at the age of 81.

Walter met the love of his life, Loretta Romano, at Montclair State College in New Jersey. They married on September 12, 1964, beginning a partnership that would span more than five decades. Loretta passed away on November 12, 2018. He carried her with him always.

Walter built a career around people — first selling cars, then extended warranties, always finding a way to connect. When the company he worked for closed its doors in 1982, he didn’t miss a beat, taking to the streets in an ice cream truck to provide for his family. It was exactly the kind of determined good-natured resilience that defined him. By 1988, he had relocated to Hoffman Estates, Illinois, where he rose to serve as President of Automotive Professional Services in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. He later channeled that same entrepreneurial spirit into owning and running a UPS Store in Schaumburg.

In 2009, Walter and Loretta made their way south to Apollo Beach, Florida, where Walter found a natural home in the sunshine — and in the stands at Tropicana Field, serving as a Fan Host for the Tampa Bay Rays. A lifelong baseball fan who cheered for both the Mets and the Rays, he brought the same enthusiasm to the ballpark that he brought to everything else.

Away from work, Walter was endlessly curious. He loved photography, music, and was always the first to embrace new technology — friends and family remember him as the first person they knew to own both a VCR and a DVD player. He had a gift for giving, too, taking genuine delight in finding just the right present for the people he loved. Those who knew him knew that a gathering with Walter meant laughter, generosity, and almost certainly a new friend by the end of the evening.

He is survived by his son Walter A. Miner IV and his wife Holly; grandchildren Paige Miner and her wife Jack, and Quinn Miner; his daughter Laura Arias and her husband Dan; grandson Matthew Arias and his wife Alessandra, and their son Gabriel; grandson Michael Arias; and granddaughter Joy Arias Brown and her husband Chip Brown.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Loretta, and his daughter April Miner, who passed on July 4, 1978.

Per Walter’s wishes, no services will be held. In lieu of a service, his family invites those who knew and loved him to raise a glass in his memory — whether that’s his favorite “See-Through” cocktail (a vodka tonic), a frosty beer, or a cold Diet Coke. Walter would have approved of any of them.