Walter, dear friend, forever to be missed. Tennis watching is not as fun as it was once: our reverle, you Nadal, me Roger! The girls always saying when jeddah, “mommy, uncle Walter is so cute!”i
You taking me to go see The Producers  in the city, I still have the t-shirt you bought me, I wore it last year during our production of the musical. Your Spain visit, your Mattituck visit. Oh, how proud you were if Michael. I so admired that.
Gone to eternal  life, we shall meet again some day.🌷🙏🏻🌷

 




I was sadden to find out that Walter had passed away.  We met at work in England and, because  we were both Americans from New York, became lunch buddies. 

When Walter left England we stayed in touch and whenever I visited my family in NYC, we would meet for a drink.  He was well read and we enjoyed many  lively debates.

He was proud of his only son.

He called me "pretty" and I had a bad feeling when I didn't get the usual Thanksgiving,  Christmas and Easter cards, not to mention the long emails with links to various political articles.  

Today my fears were confirmed. 

Rest in eternal peace my friend. I am so glad we met and will never forget you.

Kateline Sparks

I was not a close friend of Walter's. We both worked for the same employer in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in the early 1980s and lived in the same housing compound, Saudia City. I hadn't actually thought of Walter for years until last night. He appeared in a dream and it was a strong memory that was touched. I woke up determined to find out his fate, only to discover that I was too late to contact him. I have nothing but fond memories of Walter. Perhaps because we were both from the same general area -- I grew up in Newark, NJ -- and were born about the same time, but we had no trouble communicating with each other. When I saw his photo on this site, I was sure I had found the right Kowalski. He was immediately recognizable. And I'm sure if we had had a chance to speak together, he would still have that great NYC accent! Though I never met any of his family, I offer my most sincere condolences for your loss and the reassurance that there are many people in many countries who have similar dear memories of Walter.

First, my wife Deborah and I extend our deepest condolence to Walter’s mother, his sisters Wanda and Joan, and his son Michael. 

Walter and I first met in the summer of 1960, shortly after I moved to Castle Hill, and became lifelong friends beginning in the 7th grade. As teenagers we spent a lot of time playing sports in the park and at my family’s apartment. I had received a set of weights for my 12th birthday and a much bigger set for Christmas the following year. Walter became my training partner during these years. During these workouts we discussed a variety of subjects including sports, favorite teams, likes, dislikes etc. While we agreed on many things our tastes varied such as in music. Walter became a huge Beatles fan while I preferred the Motown sound. It always amused me that would tell me to be quiet in my own room whenever a Beatles song was on the radio. 

I moved onto campus at Columbia University in 1967, and Walter would visit me and take advantage of Columbia’s library and its extensive collection of master’s theses on History for ideas on his own papers.

Communication was sporadic after Walter went to Saudi Arabia. When he was ill in 1983 I visited him at NYU hospital and later when he was recuperating at his parent’s home. I bought him a pair of adjustable 35 lb. dumbbells to help him get his strength back. Not sure I was thinking rationally, but it was more a symbol of our connection. Over the next 36 years we spoke whenever Walter was in the US. Our discussions primarily revolved around politics and the Mideast upon which we agreed.

Last May I called Walter only to find out he had begun dialyses In January of this year Walter visited me at the hospice where my mother was in her last week of life.  A few days later I saw him at my mother’s funeral. Little did I imagine it would be the last time I would ever see him. 

I will truly miss our conversations and friendship. I will remember you well, my dearest friend.
Rest in peace.


Sincere condolences from Krysia and Bill Romas, Leodadia Smigielski, John and Terri Smigielski.  Krysia and John share fond memories of Walter when we were growing up in the Bronx.  Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.  We remember Walter as a quiet yet strong and loving brother to his sisters Wanda and Joan, beloved son of his parents, and I'm sure a good father to his son Michael.  May Walter rest in eternal peace and happiness in Heaven with his father Joseph and with God.  May Walter be there to welcome family and friends upon our return to the Father.

Alex and I were saddened to hear that Walter had passed away in June.  We have known Walter for over 30 years and have some very fond memories of him.  We will be thinking of you all on Saturday 26 October.  Our sincere condolences at this sad time

Miggs and Alex.

In candor, Walter and I found it difficult to have an extended, meaningful dialogue with each other.  I found Walter to be a well-informed conservative thinker and ready to take advantage of any opportunity to engage in a heated debate, showing how his positions and arguments were superior to mine. And I know Walter found me to be a less-well-informed liberal, indecisive, unwilling to take firm positions, and an unworthy intellectual opponent.

Fortunately this changed the day of Walter’s fistula surgery when we had the opportunity to spend the day together. I arrived at Walter’s home early that morning, my bag full of reading material with which I planned to occupy myself that day. But when I arrived, Walter invited me to sit with him at the kitchen table. In those first few moments, I found a person starved for conversation and decided to engage with Walter rather than my planned reading. So we spent the day listening to and speaking with one another, doing our best to get past our prior patterns and frustrations. Later that night, over dinner in a diner (for which Walter paid, to my great surprise) Walter said “I understood your thinking better now. You’re almost making sense to me”. High praise indeed from Walter. 



Walter was a nice well mannered charming  man who was married to our friend Diane.  May he rest in peace.  

When I was informed by Diane of the death of Walter, I felt a strong displeasure at the loss of a true friend.  In a moment my mind went back 39 years, to when I first met Walter in Rome at Alitalia.  
He was elegant, he loved to wear Italian suits, and we used to go shopping together.
Later he had serious health conditions.  All of us at Alitalia were very sorry when he left for medical care. But then we were very happy when he returned to work in Jeddah at Saudia Airlines with us.
I remember very well the day of Michael's baptism, at Saudia City compound.  I am Michaels godfather; I take this opportunity to send you Michael, my best greeting.  I also remember when Walter introduced me to his father in Jeddah.  He was a very kind person.  Walter was very proud of him.
During the summer months my wife Caterina used to come to Jeddah with my children.  Often Walter was our guest.  He loved Caterina's cooking.  He was what in Italian we would say ' una buona forchetta'.
Walter visited Florence many times. My family were very close to him and he would say he would like to spend the rest of his life in Florence. Fate has decided otherwise.
Although I am so sorry that he is no longer with us, I am glad he passed away without pain.  To live with great suffering maybe has no meaning.  It was also his last wish.
CIAO my dear 'spartani' friend, as he jokingly  liked to say.  Rest in peace.  I will never forget you and our friendship.

Your friend Roberti Gori        Florence  Oct 10, 2019 

We met Walter many years ago when he married our longtime friend Diane. We visited them in England and were pleased when they took a family vacation to stay with us at our home in Ontario, Canada.
We will remember Walter as a true character and although living abroad for many years... a true & proud New Yorker. "Greatest city on earth " as he told us many , many times! He was a well read intellectual , and always more than willing to converse in conversations of socio-political topics or his neverending predictions  for stock market trends.
Our sincere condolences to the entire Kowalski family on his loss.
Sharon & Steve Moss
Miller Lake, Ontario Canada

I first met Walter exactly 40 years ago in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where we were both working. We have remained very good friends over the years and I much admired Walter's opinions on a broad range of topics. We corresponded by a variety of means and latterly  spoke regularly by telephone and Skype.
I was so sad to hear from Diane that Walter had passed away so quickly; he was so sharp mentally and intellectually  even if he had some physical health problems.
I offer my deepest condolences to all his family at this difficult time and wish them the strength to bear the sadness of their awful loss.
Sincerely,
Ian Longhurst.

I met Walter through my friendship with Diane and whilst living at the family home, he was a true Gentleman and I'm sorry to hear of his passing.  

This must be a difficult time for you all and I wish you peace to bring you comfort, courage to face the days ahead and loving memories to forever hold in your heart.

With caring thoughts
Christine

OBITUARY

Walter Peter Kowalski

October 24, 1948 – June 26, 2019

Leo P. Gallagher & Son Funeral Home

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