Walter Wszulkowski

Hampton - Our beloved father, Walter "Wally" Wszulkowski, returned home to his Heavenly Father on Monday, May 19, 2025. Wally was born in Manhattan, NY on March 20, 1936. He grew up in the Bronx and Brooklyn, attending Stuyvesant High School. In 1954 Wally enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served for 2 years at the end of the Korean Conflict. He was stationed in Germany and loved his time in Europe. Wally met his wife, Louise Patalano, when they were in elementary school. After his discharge from the Army, he and our mom fell in love and married on January 12, 1958. "Weezie and Wally” were married for 62 years until Mom’s death in June of 2020. Wally began his career at IBM in 1956, starting in the mailroom. While working full-time, he enrolled at Pratt Institute, taking night courses, and graduated in 1965 with a degree in Industrial Design. Over the years Wally was promoted to a photo editor position and designed for IBM’s Think Magazine. This was when Dad became a true "Creative". He loved black and white photography and developed his film in the dark room he built in our childhood home. He loved to paint caricatures which was noticed by Thomas J. Watson, Jr., President of IBM. Tom hired Dad to paint whimsical characters on his private plane year after year. In 1968, Weezie and Wally moved their family of four from Brooklyn to Ringwood. Bald Eagle Estates was a magical community that nurtured lifelong friendships. Weezie and Wally spent many Saturday nights dancing to live music at the Cupsaw Lake Clubhouse. It was a beautiful place to call home. IBM transferred Wally to Atlanta in 1983. They moved to Marietta and became a part of the St. Ann Catholic Church community. Dad took early retirement at age 52, engaging in freelance work with an IBM colleague for a few years. Never one to sit around, he followed this experience with 20 years working at the front desk of the Marietta YMCA. Wally had head shots taken and became a local celebrity as an extra on local commercials and, in a moment to remember, as an extra in the movie Remember the Titans. Dad enjoyed learning and took cooking, painting, and pen and ink classes. Wally found watercolor art to be his favorite medium. Dad began to paint...and paint...and paint. He became part of the Atlanta Art Community and showed his work at festivals in the area including Bulloch Hall in the town of Roswell, GA. Our Dad lived a rich, full life. In 2020, after mom’s passing, Wally moved north to the Seacoast of NH to live with his daughter and son-in-law. He loved walking along North Beach in Hampton. He had a gift for making new friends. He missed Weezie and remembered her with each bowl of pasta he ate. And there were many! Wally is survived by his daughter Erika Wszulkowski of Santa Barbara, CA, his daughter Lisa Boldin and her husband Marty Boldin of Hampton, NH, his sister Joanna Zawacki and his grandchildren, Christa and Katherine Jeck. A memorial Mass will be held at St. Theresa Parish in Rye, NH on July 19th at 11:00 a.m. The family would like to thank the caring and compassionate staff of Webster at Rye as well as Beacon Hospice. In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made to the Lewy Body Dementia Association: www.lbda.org

Walter Wszulkowski

March 20, 1936 - May 19, 2025