Richard "Dick" Walters

Dick came into the world on March 31, 1934. He was born and raised in Globeville, Colorado, a neighborhood in Denver. He hunted and fished with his parents, John & Mary, played football and lettered in baseball, and graduated from North High School in 1952. Dick enlisted in the US Navy that same year and was honorably discharged in 1960.

He married the love of his life, Shirlie Schimpf, in April of 1954 and they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in 2024. In 1956, they moved to Illinois where Dick was offered a job working for Stephens-Adamson Manufacturing, which sponsored the Aurora Illinois Sealmasters softball team. Dick was glad he could work and continue playing fast-pitch softball as a catcher. In 1959, the team won the World Championship held in Clearwater, Florida.

Later in 1959, Dick moved his family back to Colorado where he partnered with his father to open a family business, W & W Tile and Linoleum Co. in Denver. Dick ran the business until he retired. He worked long hours and the job was very physical, but he made time to attend sporting and other events for all of his children. Dick and Shirlie moved to Fort Collins in 2002.

After the move to Colorado, Dick hung up his catcher’s mitt but enjoyed many other sports including pool, ping-pong, tennis, and bowling. He loved to play poker, and took up golf in his 50s. Nothing was better than winning “skins” from his golfing buddies, which he did quite often. He boasts 3 lifetime holes-in-one! In 2023 at the age of 89, Dick won his local golf tournament – the oldest player to have ever done so. He was always a fierce competitor whether it was games, cards, or sports.

Dick was a man of great faith and attended the Lutheran Church all his life, most recently Redeemer Lutheran. When Shirlie became sick and they were unable to attend in person, they regularly watched services online. Dick was a man who loved his family and always put them first. He will be dearly missed.

Dick is survived by his beloved wife of more than 70 years, Shirlie M. Walters; his children, Karri Hathcoat (Ken), Larry Walters (Jesi), and Kami Mach (Roger); grandchildren, Jessica Hekman (Matt), Jerrod Walters, Kyle Hathcoat, Kevin Hathcoat (Nicole), Brianna Van Sickle, and Jenae Walters; great-grandchildren, Ethan, Alayna, and Everett; his sister, Jackie Horne; and by his daughter-in-law, Debbie Walters. He is greeted in Heaven by his son, Alan Walters.

A Memorial Service will be held for Dick on Thursday, August 1, 2024 at 1:00 pm at Resthaven Funeral Home in Fort Collins, Colorado. He will be laid to rest on Saturday, August 3, 2024 at 11:00 am at Crown Hill Cemetery in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are encouraged to Pathways Hospice of Northern Colorado or the Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson’s. Treasured memories of Dick and words of condolence for his family are welcome at resthavencolorado.com.