Walter died peacefully at his home in Kamloops following a courageous eight year battle with Parkinson’s disease.

He will be forever loved and missed by his wife of 55 years, Diana, his two sons, David of Denny Island, Brad (Michel) of Walhachin and his daughter Holly of Kamloops.

Walter was born in Cumberland BC, the only child of Olav and Bessie Neros. He grew up in Royston, attending elementary school there and in Union Bay, then Courtenay High School. After graduation he returned for grade 13. His favourite subjects were recess, shop and sports. As Walter grew up, he followed in his father’s footsteps with his love for hunting, carpentry and fishing. He and his father built a small boat for commercial fishing which he used on weekends and holidays in his teen years. He was also an avid baseball player.

In 1959, a family friend suggested that Walter might like a career with the BC Forest Service which he started that spring in Alert Bay. In 1960 he accepted a job as Assistant Ranger in Hazelton BC. It was a long way from home but he thought Hazelton might also offer him some decent hunting and fishing. For 12 years he worked first as an Assistant Ranger in Hazelton, Smith Inlet, Terrace, Kitwanga, and Dease Lake with 3 training sessions at Green Timbers Forestry Station in Surrey, then as Deputy Ranger in Terrace, Prince Rupert and Bella Coola. It was a happy day when he reached his goal of being a Forest Ranger in Kitwanga in 1972. In 1975 he moved to Chase as Forest Ranger, planning to stay there forever but when the office was closed and Forest Rangers disappeared into memory 5 years later, he moved to Salmon Arm Forest District, first as Resource Officer Engineering, then Operations Superintendent, and finally to Field Operations Supervisor from which he retired in 1994.

Walter was a confident, skilled, unhurried and patient person. He liked to build things and was also very good at fixing things. He loved a good card game, was an avid gardener and a skilled fisherman. He was a long-time member of the Chase and District Fish and Game Club and helped to run monthly Trap shoots as well as take part in them. He enjoyed camping as long as it was beside a fishing lake and liked to visit family and friends.

Due to his declining health, in 2014 Diana and Walter moved to Kamloops to be closer to medical facilities and to Holly.

Walter requested that there be no formal service. If you wish a donation can be made to a charity of your choice or you might simply remember him with a walk in the forest that he loved and spent 35 years of his life to help manage and protect.

Condolences may be expressed at www.myalternatives.ca

• Date : 2016-11-01
• Location : Kamloops, B.C.