Walter Stempinski

He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 67 years, Elizabeth; his children Mary Kathleen (Richard) Telles-Goins of El Paso, TX and Pamela Ann (Keith) Taggart of Spring Branch, TX; grandchildren Sarah (Colin) Archer of Fritch, TX, U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Samantha Telles-Goins of Norfolk, VA, Emily (Alvaro) Hernandez of Portland, OR, and Stephanie (Americo) Ramirez of Missouri City, TX; great-grandchildren Katelyn, Charles, and Cooper Archer (due May 2024); sister Mary Ann (Steve) Turzewski of Dearborn Heights, MI; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents Paul and Mary, siblings Josephine, Sophie, and Stanley; daughter Susan Elizabeth (Dave) Ostrom; and grandson Daniel Heady. Walt grew up in Detroit, Michigan and was a lifelong fan of the Detroit Lions. He was 17 years old when he joined the U.S. Army at the end of World War II. He was a proud American and served three tours in Korea and two tours in Vietnam. He was a military intelligence officer and spoke Polish, Russian, German, and Vietnamese. He enjoyed sharing stories and reminiscing about his time in the military. After 28 years of military service and ending his career as a CW4, he worked for another 30 years in the title business in El Paso, TX (TICOR and

Southwest). He was a very hard worker and ultimately retired at the age of 71.

In 1956, Walt met his beloved Betty at an NCO club dance in Fort Bragg, North Carolina and married three months later. Soon after, they started their family. He loved spending time with his family and was the chef of Sunday dinners. He enjoyed watching sports, exercising, tending to his yard, food, coffee, and shopping. He was an incredibly generous man and made sure all of his children and grandchildren met their educational goals and aspirations. His neighbors and community were immensely special to him, and he loved helping out in any way he could. Walt always had a smile on his face and made a friend everywhere he went. He was very humorous and always joking- ready to quote his favorite television show, Seinfeld. His Catholic faith was the foundation for his life, and he was a fierce prayer warrior. His daily routine included praying for family and friends. He attended church every Saturday until he was no longer physically able to, but would watch it at home on the television instead. This will mark the end of an era for our family and he is already so greatly missed. Straight home, grandpa.

Walter will be laid to rest at Fort Bliss Cemetery with honors, tentatively scheduled for February 16 th , 2024. The El Paso Star on the Mountain will also be lit on the same night in his honor.