Walter was born in the Manhattan borough of New York, New York to Walter Kurt and Margaret Schilling Seifert. He was their only son that survived to adulthood. He had an older sister Walfrieda “Wally” Mary Margaret Seifert Robson who passed away in 1996. He graduated from high school with a full ride to Columbia University where he completed two years before his free spirit moved him in a new direction. Walter met the love of his life, Betty Lynn Morris in 1965 at the Eastside Church of Christ on 83rd Street where he led the singing. They married in 1971 and were each other’s other half for 54 years. They had two ceremonies, one free-spirited hippie ceremony in Central Park, New York, and an official ceremony in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Both ceremonies were presided over by good friends.
Walter was a free spirit with a brilliant mind. He loved mathematics and languages and music. The last book he was reading was Mathematical Topology by William Threllfell. He enjoyed people and languages so much he talked to anyone, about anything, at anytime; and if they spoke a language other than English, he would try conversing with them if he already knew some of the language, and even if he didn’t, he would try to learn a few words from them anyway. He always wanted to know how to greet people, how to say hello, how to say goodbye, how to say thank you, and if he was in a store, he wanted to know how to count his change back and how to ask for help.
He loved to sing and had a beautiful voice. Though it was damaged by smoke from a house fire he continued to sing and hum because he loved music so much. Walter had many jobs in his younger years from working in a theater as a bartender, to being a postman, to working at the Guggenheim Museum repairing old mechanical machines for an exhibit
In late 1969 Walter moved to California to become a hippie and was joined by Betty three months later. They returned to New York separately in early 1971 to start a family and their son Eli was born in July 1971.
Two days before Christmas in 1972 Walter, Betty, and Eli moved to Maine to live off the grid. They stayed in a friend’s home in Mt. Vernon until early spring when they moved into a tent on their own land plot in Belgrade and built a cabin. During this time, Walter learned many new skills adapting to life outside the city. These new experiences included cutting down trees, chopping wood, making maple syrup, and construction. He also helped out at the new day school, Eli attended. They lived at the cabin until it was struck by lightning and burned down. They returned to Mt. Vernon, Maine and lived in Betty’s weaving studio. Their daughter, Sara Marguerite joined them in April 1981.
Walter and family moved to Townsend, MA in 1982 where he got a job with Nasoya Foods as a truck loader and soon driver. Over the years, he also worked on the production line and in their maintenance department. He remained with that company until February 2008. He was still riding a bicycle 10 to 15 miles one way to work and back at the age of 72 when he was in a house fire in March 2008. Injured in the fire, Walter was a stubborn ornery man who pushed through all the odds of his recovery to, not only to survive his circumstances, but to thrive.
He moved to Maryland to live with his wife and daughter and there he explored and built a community around himself, he would hitchhike and take public transportation and walk everywhere he wanted to go since he did not drive anymore. He was well-known and beloved here in Calvert county, and he spent a lot of time at the senior center and the library. In 2009 Walter discovered the Patuxent Friends Quaker meeting house and became a part of their community. He has been a dedicated attendee of the Friends meeting ever since.
Walter was a loving father husband and grandfather. Survivors include his wife, Betty Lynn Seifert, his son Eli Seifert and his daughter Sara Marguerite Seifert, as well as his grandchildren, Charles Seifert-Watson Ross, Liam Seifert-Ross, Morgan Seifert-Ross, and Brandon Seifert-Ross, and his nieces Jody Aguayo and Laurie Suquet.
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