The Rev. David Lloyd Walters 1933 – 2011

The Rev. David Lloyd Walters died on Sunday, May 29, 2011, from complications of colon cancer. A liturgy celebrating his life and ministry will be held at St. Paul’s Cathedral on Saturday June 11, at 1:00 in the afternoon. All are welcome, and clergy are asked to vest (cassock and surplice; white stole) and process. Clergy should arrive by 12:30 p.m.

In an email to clergy, Bishop Thomas Ely wrote, “David’s contributions to the life and ministry of our diocese were many, from serving small congregations with faithfulness, to his love, commitment and hard work in support of Rock Point. I had several opportunities over the course of the past few months to visit with David and share stories of his life and ministry (mostly I listened!). He died gently at home around 2:00 AM Sunday morning, with Carol and his son Glenn at his side. Wonderfully enough, my visitation on Sunday was with the good people of Grace, Sheldon, where David had served faithfully for a dozen years before ‘retirement.’”

Walters wrote his own obituary, which is below.
 
Expressions of condolence may be sent to the family c/o Carol Walters, 43 Imperial Dr., So. Burlington, VT  05403-9826.

Full obituary for the Rev. David Lloyd Walters

The Rev. David Lloyd Walters died at home in South Burlington, VT, on May 29, 2011 from complications of colon cancer. In anticipation of that event, he wrote the following, just to keep everybody on the same page.

“I was born in Philadelphia, PA, on January 16, 1933, the son of Kenneth and Helen (Woodruff) Walters. I grew up with my sister Marilyn (Wehrle) in the Philadelphia suburbs (Yeadon), Ballston Spa, NY, and Scotia, NY. I graduated from Scotia High School in June 1950 and worked for a year for the Scotia Machine and Tool Co.

“My college education started in September 1951, but was interrupted when I volunteered for two years in the U.S. Army. In the midst of that military service, Elizabeth Alexander and I were married and our first child, Holly, was born. By the end of 1958, after I had earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering at Colorado State University, we moved to Vermont where I worked for General Electric in Burlington. We had two more children, Glenn and Tom. I continued to work for GE for 31 years. Near the end of that period (1988), Elizabeth and I were divorced.

“While living and working in Vermont, I was called to the priesthood of the Episcopal Church, studied for Holy Orders in the Diocese of Vermont, and was ordained a deacon in 1971 and a priest on St. Nicholas’ Day (Dec. 6) in 1973 by Bishop Harvey D. Butterfield at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Burlington. Since then I have served many parishes in Vermont as the Bishop’s vicar or in an interim role, my most recent parish being Grace Church, Sheldon. It was my great pleasure in the late 1970s to work closely with Roman Catholic lay people and clergy to establish the Cursillo (renewal) movement in the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont.

“Following GE retirement in 1989 I worked full-time for the State of Vermont as an employment counselor (1989-1998) and part-time for the Shelburne Museum, the University of Vermont, and the Champlain Chocolate Co.

“I have had a nearly life-long interest in letterpress printing. In the mid-1980s I began to do professional printing for friends. By 2004, I had founded Salus Publishing, LLC, a business that included writing, illustrating, printing and promoting books, mainly for children. Among those books are: The Boy with the Blue Bag, The Railroad ABC, and a flip-page book, Take Me Out to the Ball Game. The chief outlet for these publications is by mail order and the fall show of the Vermont Hand Crafters, Inc., of which I am a member.

“On April 4, 1988, Carol Price Smith and I were married in the Kerr Chapel, Bishop Booth Conference Center at Rock Point in Burlington. As a result, I immediately acquired a stepdaughter, Jennifer Smith of Swanton, VT. Carol and I are active members of St. Paul’s Cathedral. We share many other interests. We like to eat out, travel, stay at B&Bs, shop the antique circuit, and sing in and support the Burlington Choral Society. We especially like visiting children and grandchildren: Holly Walters, her children Len Takami and Kei Takami, and their father Nagamasa Takami in France; Glenn Walters and his wife Linda and their children Grace and Mary in North Carolina; and Tom Walters in Philadelphia. On visits to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I delight in building sand sculptures and castles.

“Except for my parents and Bishop Butterfield, all of the people mentioned above survive me. There are numerous friends, cousins, nieces and nephews who are near and dear.

“My family and I express profound gratitude for the wonderful care given to me by the nurses, nursing assistants, and volunteers of Hospice. Please, no flowers, but if you would like to make a contribution to St. Paul’s Cathedral, Bishop Booth Conference Center at Rock Point, or Hospice/VNA, or a blood donation to the Red Cross, that would be a blessing for you and others.”

A service celebrating the life of David L. Walters will be held at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Burlington, on Saturday, June 11, at 1:00 pm.