Walter Gerald Horton

Walter G. (Jerry) Horton, 76 of Silverdale passed away at home on the Nov. 20, 2012 after a very long illness which left him totally paralyzed. He was born Aug. 12, 1936 in Mauk, Taylor County, Georgia. He was predeceased by his parents, Walter T. Horton and Estelle (Spillers) LeSueur. Jerry joined the Navy in 1954. In 1960, he was accepted into the submarine school, and first served on the USS Char. From there he was assigned to the nuclear power school in Dam Neck, Va., and was on the commissioning crew for the USS Lafayette. He made CWO1 in 1967 and transferred to Sub-base New London, Conn. In 1970, he transferred as a CWO3 to SWFPAC where he retired in 1974. After Jerry retired from the Navy, he owned two restaurants – Hitchin Post Triple X in Silverdale and Hitchin Post II on 4th and Naval Ave in Bremerton. Jerry also retired from civil service after 20 years working both at SWFPAC and PSNS. He was a volunteer police officer in Bremerton and sheriff in Kitsap County for a total of 20 years. He loved to travel in the US, was an expert on the Civil War and Indians and interested in genealogy. Jerry had a BA in management, was an Eagle Scout, an avid reader and gardener, spending hours and hours on his lawn and trees. He loved to ski and was on the first Silverdale Chamber of Commerce board to study incorporation. He was a member of Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church. He was one of the first Presidents of the Catholic Parish Council in Groton, Conn. and helped serve the Mass numerous times. Jerry was married to Jacquelyn Perkins one month short of 57 years. They had four children: Jacquelyn Ann, Lori Jo Hannawacker who predeceased him on Sept. 14, 2011, Leslie Marie, and Walter Mark; eight grandchildren: Shaun Horton, Robbie and Bridget Hannawacker, Steven Begley, Sarah Hickman, Joshua, Eric, and Maegan Horton; two great-grandchildren, Alyssa Landers and Emily Violet Neff. He had four siblings: Emily Annette (deceased), Patty (deceased), Cheryl Gowder from Macon, Ga., and Terry Horton from Goose Creek, S.C. He was loved by all and will be greatly missed. Services will be held at Miller-Woodlawn Funeral Home on Friday, Nov. 30, at 3 p.m. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Parkinson's Research Foundation.