Bruce Walter

Beloved family man, union president, and suburban cattle rancher Alfa Bruce Walter had one last meat-and-potatoes dinner, went to bed, and passed away peacefully in his sleep on July 8, 2022. He was 79. Born January 28, 1943, in Opportunity, to Jess and Carmel Walter, Bruce grew up in Spokane and Alaska with his sisters Joyce and Julie, and his brothers Curt and Dale. Bruce attended Libby Middle School and Mary Walker High School in Springdale before joining the U.S. Navy in 1960. He proudly served aboard the USS Coral Sea in the South Pacific in 1962, a trip that he recreated forty years later. As a teenager, Bruce met the love of his life, Carol Musgrove, and the two were married in 1961. They had three children, Kristie, Jess, and Ralph, and eventually, ten grandchildren. After leaving the Navy in January 1964, Bruce continued in the U.S. Naval Reserves for two years and attended Reid Barber College, though he chose to use his flattop and crewcut skills mainly on objecting sons and grandsons.

In 1964, Bruce was hired at Kaiser Aluminum, first in Tacoma, and eventually at the Trentwood Rolling Mill in the Spokane Valley. There, he was a pipefitter, and in the late 1970s, was elected grievance officer for Local 338 Steelworkers Union. A committed union member, Bruce believed in lifting every worker. He became the union Vice President and served two terms as union President in the 1980s and early 1990s. Bruce loved riding motorcycles, drinking with friends, and fishing. His favorite place in the world was his parents' ranch near Springdale, where he bought an adjacent piece of land in 1972, commuting sixty miles each way to Kaiser before moving back to the Valley with his family and an ill-advised handful of cattle in 1974. He retired in 1995, hoping to travel with Carol, but she passed away in 1997 after a short battle with cancer. Her name in the heart tattoo on his arm faded slightly over the years, but his affection never did.

Bruce was fortunate to find a loving companion for his later years in Claudette Mills, a former Kaiser coworker. They spent years together growing tomatoes and raspberries in the Valley before Claudette passed away in 2020. Bruce was an important part of the lives of Claudette's children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

Bruce was preceded in death by his parents, and his sisters Julie (Larry Reglin) and Joyce (Mel Holien). He is survived by his brothers Dale (Mikki) and Curt (Joanne) and eleven nieces and nephews; and by his daughter Kristie (Al Kirkpatrick) and sons Jess (Anne) and Ralph. He was lovingly called "Grumpy" and "Paca" by ten grandchildren (Kelley, Clint, Jeff, Carey, Christopher, and Cody; Brooklyn, Ava Caroline, and Alec; and Ava Kathleen) and nineteen great-grandchildren. He had too many friends to count. Bruce had a devilish sense of humor and passed on his love of roasting to his kids: one boy, one girl, and one disappointment. He would love nothing more than for friends to raise a glass this week and tell a good Bruce story. He will be buried next to Carol at the family plot in Hunters, Washington and a memorial will be held Saturday, July 16, 2-4 p.m., at VFW Post 51, 300 W. Mission Ave. For online condolences, visit https://www.corbeillfuneralhomes.com obituaries.