J. Terrence (Terry) Walbert

Joseph Terrence (Terry) Walbert died peacefully at home on Tuesday, October 24, 2017 surrounded by his loving family, his outsized heart failing after eighty-eight years of kindness, giving, laughter, adventure, compassion and joy.

Terry wanted his obituary (which he penned) to read as follows: “J. Terrence Walbert was born in Sudlersville, Maryland to Theodore J. and Ruby P. Walbert in 1929. During his high school years, his brothers, Sterling J. and T.J. (both now deceased), were in active duty in WWII, and his sister, Phyllis, also now deceased, was in Chester, Pa., actively involved in the war effort. He and his father opened a dairy farm supplying daily bottled milk to Sudlersville. He graduated from Sudlersville High School in 1946 and entered Virginia Polytechnic Institute from which he graduated in 1950 with a degree in Chemistry and a commission in the Army. He had a short stint at Purdue University before being called to active military duty in 1951 to participate in the Korean War. He returned from Korea in 1953 with a Bronze Star, a Combat Infantryman Badge and appropriate service ribbons. Still in the Army, he was assigned to the staff at the United States Military Academy at West Point as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry. After three years there, he joined DuPont in the Plastics Department.

His career at DuPont involved several marketing positions in Teflon, then as an advisor to the Mitsui — DuPont joint venture in Japan, followed by assignments to several other products in Manufacturing and Marketing in Wilmington, Texas, Georgia and New York.

He was active in the communities where he and his family lived through the Episcopal Church, the Delaware Symphony, Glee Clubs, etc. He was the President of the Board of both Stanford School and Centreville School during the 1980s and 1990s, and led both through many changes.”

Here are just a few of the many things he forgot to mention: he once met Louis Armstrong in a Howard Johnson’s; in 1966, he rode the Trans-Siberian railroad, his young family in tow, from Vladivostok to Moscow, where he was approached to be a Russian spy; he could dance like all get-out and loved to shake a rug with Pat, his beloved wife of nearly 35 years who passed away last October; he had an artist’s gift and drew or painted almost every day; some of his happiest evenings were spent fishing for bass on Squam Lake, New Hampshire, where he vacationed with his family; he appreciated a good cigar and bourbon, bike rides at Rehoboth Beach, snorkeling in St. John, a round of golf anywhere, and hiking out West, preferably with a picnic for the summit; he had a tremendous sense of humor; he traveled the world, the Far East and Italy his favorite places; as a young boy, he raised a Guernsey calf to become the Maryland Grand Champion; he taught marketing in Bulgaria after retiring from DuPont; he cultivated bonsai trees; in 1989, he hopped on a plane to join the crowds tearing down the Berlin Wall; he spoke Japanese (sort of); he played the trumpet in the Virginia Tech Regimental band, the Hightie-Tighties, and was an avid Hokies’ fan; he had a beautiful voice and sang show tunes at every opportunity.

Terry loved his family and gave freely to all who knew him, inspiring his adoring children, step-children, grandchildren, and many, many friends with his exuberant sense of adventure, his charity and kindness, his easy laughter, creativity, and unique and powerful spirit and light.

He is survived by his children, Elizabeth Hausauer (Joe), Kate Walbert (Rafael), and Andrew Walbert, and his four step-children, Brady Redfearn (Diana), Michele Wenzel (Charlie), Brett Redfearn (Lizabeth), and Maureen Murphy (Michael), as well as four grandchildren, Samuel Hausauer, Katey Swiger (Sammy), Delia Pelli-Walbert and Iris Pelli-Walbert, a great grandchild, and ten step-grand-children.

A private service will be held for family on November 4th. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Episcopal Relief & Development Fund. (www.episcopalrelief.org).

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