Earl Vance Walters

Earl Vance Walters, D.O., 94, passed away peacefully on March 16, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. He was preceded in death by his wife, Kae Walters and his son, Chris. He is survived by his oldest daughter and son-in-law, Susan and Dean Morris; his youngest daughter and son-in-law, Sharon and John Deagan; his 3 granddaughters; and his 5 grandsons. On June 11, 2021, a private ceremony will be held at the Georgia National Cemetery in Canton, GA.

Vance was born on June 30, 1926 to Earl "Pete" and Dorothy Cronland Walters and was raised in Des Moines, Iowa with his younger brother, James Cronland Walters m. Vance married Kae in Grand Rapids, Michigan on June 21, 1958.

Vance graduated East High School in Des Moines in 1944. In his Junior year, he won the State championship in Cross County and was inducted into East Hall of Fame in September 2009. After high school, Vance joined the U.S. Navy and had the rank of Apprentice Seaman (V12). He was in the V12 Training Unit at St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa from 1944 to 1945, and then in the NROTC at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois from 1945 to 1946. He received several awards including a Victory Medal and the American Area Campaign Medal.

Vance earned his Bachelor of Arts from the State University of Iowa in 1949. In 1953, he obtained his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from Still College of Osteopathy and Surgery. While at Still College, Vance was a member of the Xiphoid Chapter of the Atlas Club.

Vance was an Osteopathic Orthopedic Surgeon who practiced for 40 years. Vance interned at Grand Rapids Osteopathic Hospital from 1953 to 1954, and completed his residency at Doctors Hospital in Columbus, Ohio from 1957 to 1960. After completing his residency, Vance moved to Cincinnati to help build the Otto C. Epp Memorial Hospital, which was both the first suburban and air-conditioned hospital in Cincinnati, where he was head of the Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery.

Over his practice years, Vance was continually involved in different organizations. He was a Life Member for both the American Osteopathic Association and the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons and was on the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Osteopathic Association. He served as the physician for the legendary Moeller High School football team, where in 2018 he was inducted into their Gerry Faust Hall of Fame. A crowning achievement in his career was being elected a Fellow of the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics in 1988.

Vance had a passion for interior decorating, and never missed an opportunity to go to the Opera or a Broadway show. He retired in 1999, which involved relocating to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and then finally to Atlanta, Georgia. In retirement, Vance’s favorite things to do were to travel and spend time with his children and grandchildren. A few of his favorite places were Chicago, London, and Indian Lake, Ohio.