Walter Smith Jr.

Walter Joseph Smith, Jr., 94, of Denver, Colo., peacefully passed away at his home on August 12, 2022, surrounded by family.

Walter was born on September 19, 1927, to Walter Joseph Sr., and Catherine Donovan in Newark, New Jersey. After his high school graduation in 1945, Walter enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was stationed at Great Lakes Training Center in Illinois.

After the war ended, Walter joined New York’s finest, first as a patrolman and later as a plain clothes officer. He then became a narcotics agent, resulting in the family’s move to Littleton, Colo., in 1967. Upon leaving law enforcement, Walter worked in accounting, and eventually became a small business owner. At one time, he owned and managed seven Vail Valley real estate properties.

In 1954, at a resort in the Berkshires, Walter met Rita McNally, the love of his life.  They went on to have seven children: Kevin (son Bennett ) Dennis (wife Ceci, sons Connor and Charlie); Brian (wife Nancy, son Dennis); Theresa (son Quin); Rosemary; Eileen Williamson (husband Michael, daughter Madeline and sons Samuel, Nicholas Walter, and Michael “Jack”); and Carolyn Gust (husband Art, son Dylan, and daughters Erin and Caitlin).

Walter was an outstanding athlete. He played semi-pro football for the Ozone Park Bombers. Despite his lean frame and 5-foot-9 height, he was a tenacious defensive end. He was also a talented basketball and tennis player. His love of sports was shared by his wife, children, and 12 grandchildren.

A numbers guy, Walter would calculate 7-digit equations in his head, much to the delight of his children. He read the Wall Street Journal religiously and enjoyed trading on the stock market. He was humble and hard working. Walter had a dry sense of humor, and he took great delight in countering his children with a quick retort.

In retirement, Walter traveled and played tennis and golf. He enjoyed spending winters in Palm Desert, Calif., where he was surrounded by family and friends.

Walter’s greatest joy was spending time with his family and friends. He was a man of few words, yet a man of strong conviction – in his faith, in his family, and in the Denver Broncos.

Walter was predeceased in death by his sister, Catherine Keneally. He is survived by his brother, Joseph Smith, and his sister, Mary Buchanan.

A reception will immediately follow the service, at the Stony Brook Clubhouse, 4601 S. Yosemite Street, Denver, Colo.

Memorial donations may be made to: Regis Jesuit High School, 6300 Lewiston St., Aurora, Colo., 80016, in care of the work study program, and Sisters of Saint Joseph Carondelet, 6400 Minnesota Ave., St. Louis, Mo., 63111, in honor of Sister Mary Rebecca Campbell.

We love you, Wally. “Ditto, ditto.”

” And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”        —William Shakespeare

The Funeral Mass will be livestreamed, please click on the link www.risenchristchurch.org then click on the "livestream and YouTube" button on the first page.  It will take you to our YouTube page and Walter's Funeral Mass will be the first video listed on Thursday around 2:20pm.