Walter "Walt" Reisbick

Walter Reisbick age 85 passed away on March 22, 2016. He is survived by his 3 children Cindy (Steve), Pattie (Pat) and Richard (Cynde) along with 9 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. Preceding him in death were his beloved wife Ruth, parents John and Eva Reisbick, siblings John, Helen, Wilma, Marian and Margaret.

Walter was born in Lexington Nebraska to immigrant parents from Russia. The family eventually settled in Wyoming where Walter helped with the family farm.

At the age of 17 he entered the US Army/Air Core where he attended Automatic Pilot and Navigation System School and Bombing System and Flight Instrument Leadership School. During boot camp Walter learned the value of getting up on time from. 3 days into boot camp when for the 3rd day he would not get up, his boot camp instructor proceeded to go get a pitcher of ice water. He came back and promptly poured it on a very asleep Walter. Walter never slept in another day after that! During his enlistment the Army and the Air Force became 2 separate branches of the military. Walter choose the Air Force so he would not have to march or at least not as much. He became attached to the Armament and Electronic Maintenance Squadron where he performed ground and flight maintenance work on aircraft. He served in the Korean war and would tell stories about his time there. He flew many missions with a pilot that always loved to dive the plane and pull it out at the last second. Walter commented many times that he said some not so nice words to that pilot every time. He was honorably discharged as a staff sergeant in 1954.

Walter came back to Colorado, (where he had done his training in the Air Force Leadership school at Lowry Air Force Base) in 1954 and enrolled for 1 year at the University of Colorado for Engineering.

After moving back to Colorado Walter met the love of his live with Ruth. This chance blind date became a lifelong love affair. Walter’s best friend Max wanted to date Ruth’s sister Maribelle, however she would not go on a date with Max unless her sister Ruth went along as a double date. Max told Walter that they were going on this double date and his date would be Ruth. Walter later said that he knew at the end of that date he had met the woman he was going to marry. They married in January of 1956 and remained married until Ruth’s death in 1996. Walter, ever the gentleman, would always help Ruth on with her coat, hold the door for her, escort her to the car and open the door remaining there until she was in and close the car door. During their life together they spent many hours with hobbies such as roller skating, fishing, camping, bow and arrow hunting and competitions, bowling, gardening and spending time with friends. Walter missed Ruth every day of the 20 years he lived past her death. His dying wish was to be with Ruth again…..and so they are hand in hand walking through their eternal life together.

Walter made a career out of the industrial arts by working as an offset and web pressman. He earned the status of Master Printer in 1969 while working for Woehrmyer Printing forms. In 1971 he started his own company Duplex Printing and ran it until his retirement in 1986.

After retirement it wasn’t long before Walter was back working part time or full time jobs so he would have something to do…..mostly because Ruth needed him out of the house at times so she could get things done!

In Walter’s later years of life he took up many hobbies including woodworking where he made an entire bedroom set for Ruth as well as wooden pens for friends and family. He also tried his hand at learning piano, playing the recorder, learning Spanish, ceramic work, painting, computers and was an expert at shopping on ebay! Walter was not afraid to try something and give it his best shot. He would swim with the seniors at the rec center, garden (suppling the neighbors with all the tomatoes and cucumbers they could eat). He spent many mornings in the warm days on his front porch having neighbors over for coffee and long talks. He watched out for all his neighbors and they in turned watched out for him.

Walter will be missed by his family and his friends.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made in his honor to the American Heart Association, www.coloradogives.org/AHA/overview,

or Denver Fisher House Foundation, www.coloradogives.org/DenverFisherHouseFoundation/overview, a non-profit that provides a "home away from home" for active duty military and veteran's families undergoing medical treatment in the Denver area. The Foundation provides the much needed financial support for the house and its guests.