Robert Paul Walter

Robert Paul Walter (Bob) led a life of integrity, service, ingenuity, and love. He will be remembered for many things, but perhaps most of all, for how he devoted himself fully to his family every step of the way, to the very end.

Born in Birmingham, Michigan, Dec. 18, 1946, to Charles (Chuck) and Fran Walter, Bob grew up in metro Detroit. He graduated from Birmingham High School and went on to Michigan State University where he studied golf course maintenance.

He married the love of his life, Lynda Gertrude Krebsbach, March 6, 1970. In 1975 they adopted their son, John, and in 1979 they adopted their daughter, Jody. Bob loved camping, snorkeling, and traveling with his family. His favorite trip was when they went to the Virgin Islands. One day, they took a boat to St. John’s and as they snorkeled, they could hear Jody singing under the water. On the plane ride home, John began to sketch a picture of his cup with ice cubes sitting in front of him. It captured the attention of the flight attendants, who were in awe as he started with the ice cubes, then drew the glass around it. When asked why he did it that way, John said “so I know the ice cubes will fit inside the glass.” Bob recalled that it was the moment he knew his son was an artist.

Bob enjoyed NASCAR, fishing, golfing, and flying. He was a card-carrying PGA pro, enabling him to give golf lessons and run the pro shop. He acquired his private pilot’s license and co-owned an airplane. He was handy too. He built and fixed homes, cars, and cultivated a hydroponic garden at his home in Florida. He loved a good bourbon and was the cook in the household. His Thanksgiving turkey and day-after turkey soup were family favorites. Bob had a knack for business and an entrepreneurial spirit. He owned and ran Highland Hills Golf Course with his father, Chuck, and later held a pop shoppe, two oil change services, a silk flower store, a coin laundry, a tavern, and a food cart.

Bob had a dry sense of humor, a keen listening ear, a calm demeanor, and a strong presence. No wonder he was called to a life of service. He was a volunteer firefighter, serving as the president of the Highland Fire Association in 1970. He also served in the Army Reserves as a cook and drill sergeant. He was on the first Pastoral Council at Holy Spirit Catholic Church. In the mid-1990s, he ran for State Representative. He eventually retired from the Florida Department of Corrections after serving as a correctional officer at a juvenile facility alongside Lynda, who taught there.

Bob lived in Waterford, Michigan until 2000, when he and Lynda relocated to Florida. They first resided in Fort Pierce, then Vero Beach, and finally in a little town called Micco, near Sebastian. He moved back to Michigan in June 2025 to live closer to family. He died in the University of Michigan’s Frankel Cardiovascular Center Intensive Care Unit on Sept. 11, 2025, surrounded by his family. Bob was preceded to heaven by his parents, wife, and children.

Bob will be dearly missed and forever remembered by his family. He is survived by his sister and brother-in-law Paul and Judy Polesnak; his nieces and nephews Christina Chill (Steve Hill), Michele Rachwal (Bradford), Michael McCormick (Lisa), Margaret Olbrich (Norman), Jane Johnson (Kyle), and Kathleen Atanasoff (Andrew); and his great nieces and nephews Cameron, Zoey, T.J., Hannah, Matilda, Asa, Maxine, and Trevi; and his cousin, Mary Kline

The funeral mass will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, September 22, 2025 (In state at 10:00 am) at St. Patrick Church, 9086 Hutchins Road, White lake, Michigan 48386. Visitation will be on Sunday, September 21, 2025 from 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm at the White Lake Chapel of the Elton Black and Son Funeral Home, 1233 Union Lake Rd., White Lake, MI 48386. Inturment will be in All Saints Cemetery.