Wally (Bill) Walton

Wally was the person that made you think "they don't make ‘em like they used to". If you were lucky enough to know him during his 85 years, you knew he was something special.
He was the last of seven boys and learned the importance of hard work and a sense of humor. At Jordan High School he met Shirley Jean – his love and wife of 65 years.
His view that hierarchy mattered less than competency led him through the paces of a number of different companies until he found a home at Mountain Fuel. In his 34 years there, he rose through the ranks and enlivened the work of those around him with his colorful phrases and constant use of the "Wally Word".
At home his grizzly exterior couldn't hide the teddy bear inside. He was the light of daughters' lives; who never stopped feeling like his little girls. As a husband, father-in-law and grandpa he was a source of rascally kindness and endless generosity. He knew where your button was and he knew how to push it. He knew when you needed a bit of advice and when to give it. He knew when you needed a shoulder to cry on, a kick in the butt or a "Knob & 7" – and he always had each at the ready.
More than anything else he was a man you could trust. If you were a friend you felt like family. If you were family you felt like nothing could ever go wrong because he had your back. He was a man of great compassion, irreverence and soul. He takes something irreplaceable with him, but leaves much more in the memories of those he loved.
He is survived by his wife Shirley; dasughters Charlotte and Shauna; grandchildren Chad (Lyndsi), Colby (Mary), Andrew, and Adam (Lisabeth); great-grandchildren Lyric and Theo; and a small lion named Zeke. Preceded in death by daughter Shirley Colleen; son-in-law Tom; and six brothers.
A celebration of Wally's life will be held Thursday, November 20th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Starks Funeral Parlor, 3651 South 900 East, Salt Lake City. A private graveside service will be held at a date and time to be determined.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Best Friends Animal Society.