Passed away at his Vallejo home on Saturday, May 18, 2013, under the care of Kaiser Hospice, after a long battle with prostate cancer; he was 73 years of age. Walter was a native of San Francisco, moved to Kensington, and graduated from El Cerrito High School in 1957, where he met his wife, Dorothy; they were married in 1962. In 1963 he graduated from San Jose State College with a BS in Civil Engineering. Walter and Dorothy moved to Japan, where he served as a US Navy officer from 1963 to 1966 in the Navy’s Construction Battalion (Sea-Bees). He retired as a Leutenant Jr. Grade. Walter and his family moved to Vallejo in 1967, where he became a part owner of ZacKit Electronics, retiring in 2006. He was a Master Mason for 47 years, and a member of Vallejo Lodge #487, where he was the Master of the lodge for three consecutive years; he then joined the Navel Lodge #87 when the lodges consolidated. The family spent many years at the Odd Fellows Recreation Club on the Russian River near Guerneville, where Walter was a board member for nine years. After retirement he loved cruising the world with his wife.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Dorothy Thompson; son, Carl Thompson and wife, Linda of Chino Hills; daughter, Christine Fortenberry and husband, Scott of Carr, Colorado; brother, Jim Thompson and wife, Sally of Redwood City; brother-in-law, Rev. Kenneth Watt and partner, Victor Amburgy of Vallejo; and grandchildren, Austin, Kaitlyn, Makenna, and Matthew.

Friends are cordially invited to attend memorial services Saturday, June 1 at 11:00 a.m. at Springbrook Masonic Temple, 101 Temple Way, Vallejo. Private interment is at Sunset View Cemetery, El Cerrito. Memorial donations may be made to Kaiser Hospice, 975 Sereno Drive, Vallejo CA 94589 or to the charity of the donor’s choice.