He was born the son of Gottfried and Christine Engel Decker on May 21, 1940, in Bad Hersfeld, Germany. Immigrating with his family in 1953, he settled in Bloomington, IL. On April 19, 1974, he married Rebecca Lynn Crawford.
Surviving are his four children; son, Lawrence Decker (Marijo Decker) of Chula Vista, CA, son, Steven Decker (Brenda Ortiz-Allard) of Attleboro, MA, daughter, Teresa Decker (Steve Musial) of Sewickley, PA, and daughter, Erika Decker (Tony Liu) of Seattle, WA. Also surviving are 7 grandchildren; Samantha, Gavin, Keegan, Elijah, Hannah, Christina, and Isaac.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his two sisters, Waltraud “Vi” Friedrich and Renate Mueller.
Walter was a member of the United States Air Force and a career union electrician with IBEW Local 51 for 35 years. Walter loved his family, classical music, playing cards, NASCAR, and all living creatures. Some of his best days were spent whistling a tune and tinkering on cars. He had a fun-loving, carefree side and a bright smile that was contagiously heart-warming.
A public visitation will be held on Saturday, November 5th, 2022 from 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. at East Lawn Funeral Home, Bloomington. A Celebration of Life Service will be at 1:00 p.m. Burial will follow services at East Lawn Memorial Gardens, Bloomington.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Catholic Diocese of Peoria and Traditions Health Hospice.
