Pakenham Village Tributes : Roy "Wally" Walter

Roy "Wally" Walter

TributeWally and his beloved wife Sheila residing in Pakenham at Pightle House since it was built in 1997.

Roy or Wally as we knew him was born at the beginning of the 1930's in Cheltenham. What a different place the world was then, the Great Depression, the Abdication crisis and the rise of national socialism, mass produced cars and the first days of radio and eventually television. A First World War not that long over, a Second World War looming. A time of militarism and mistrust and yet a time of the first large strides in technological and social progress. One could either be pessimistic about the future or optimistic. It appears Wally was of the latter persuasion.

Wally spent the Second World War helping his parents in the Adam and Eve pub where amongst other things he was responsible for the smooth running of the skittle alley, a major attraction in West Country pubs then as it is now, despite the apparently never ceasing bombing raids.

After the end of the war Wally was called up for National Service where he was posted to Kenya, where amongst other things he had his first experience of teaching, climbed Kilimanjaro and got into a spot of bother for failing to take proper care of an Army motor bike. Wally returned to Cheltenham shortly before his father died from acute appendicitis.

Shortly after being demobbed Wally went away to Bognor Regis to train as a teacher and that is where he met Sheila. They fell in love and as the saying goes absence makes the heart grow fonder as Wally went off to Leeds to continue his training whilst Sheila went off to Cambridge to continue her training but every few weeks they would both make tracks for Nottingham to meet up. They married on 2nd April 1956. They had two children Andrew and Katherine and grandchildren Rachel, Ben, Matthew and Joe.

Wally's first teaching job was at Lancing County Secondary School. The Headmaster's reference reads "Mr Walter has shown himself to be an outstanding teacher, himself an outstanding gymnast, he has transmitted his own enthusiasm to the boys so that the standard of achievement has increased by leaps and bounds". Praise indeed. It continues: "There is a thoroughness and enthusiasm, quietly exercised." Which in many ways sums up the man himself. Another reference this time from Westlian Crammer in Brighton says "A complete, although apparently effortless, control of his class. He always remains calm and good tempered". Wally then spent two years establishing a youth club in Thatcham where it is noted "The youth problem in Thatcham has largely disappeared".

In 1966 Sheila and Wally moved to Great Waldingfield in Suffolk as he had secured a job at the North East Essex Technical College. Suffolk was to be Sheila and Wally's home together for nearly 50 years first in Waldingfield and the last seventeen years in Pakenham.

Wally's eyesight began to fail and despite Sheila giving up her job to assist Wally in driving up and down the country, early retirement was taken. He had a series of health checks one of which showed him to have a serious heart problem leading to a heart valve replacement. Wally remarkably fought off cancer on two occasions and despite his subsequent total blindness his determination even then was to live a full and active life. And with the massive assistance from Sheila telling him when to stop when to go, when to step up, when to step down. When to do everything... everything that the everyday person takes for granted. Wally was guided through life by the gentle hand of his one love. Dear Sheila. "To love and to cherish till death do us part".

Thanks to Andrew for his words.

PV&CN - August 2014