1926
John
2017
John "Jack" Brower Walton
August 14, 1926 — May 26, 2017
Dr. John B. Walton (Jack), D.O.
John was born in Chicago August 14th 1926 to DeForrest D. and Amelia Louise (Potter) Walton. He moved with his family to Hastings in July of 1929 when his father began practice as an Optometrist—a practice John later assumed. During his High School years, he worked at Hastings City Bank and Hodges Jewelry. Upon John's graduation from Hastings High School in 1944, he enrolled in the University of Michigan to study pre-med. However, he soon heard a rumor that the Navy was re-opening enlistment, so without informing his roommate or his parents, he took the train to Detroit to enlist in the reserves for the duration of the War plus six months. He served as a signalman in the Pacific aboard the USS Auriga. After an honorable discharge, John attended the Northern Illinois College of Optometry on the G.I Bill and then joined his father's practice.
He made his first home on ten acres off of River Road where he lived on July 5th, 1958 when he was married Esther May Summerlott Sugden in the presence of witnesses at the Friends Meeting House in Kalamazoo, Michigan. From there the family moved to a house on Gun Lake and later to the current residence on Green Street where they raised five children (Kim, David, Ruth, Martha, and Mary) and fostered several nieces and a nephew.
In the 1970s he served on the School Board and during his career, John maintained membership in Rotary where he was once President and was a lifelong member of the American Optometric Association. Jack had deep interest in photography and SCUBA diving and was certified by NASDS and checked out in cave diving, ice diving, night diving, wreck diving and deep-water diving. Travels in pursuit of his hobbies included trips across the Great Lakes, Caribbean, Florida Keys, Grand Cayman, and the Republic of Grenada. He served on the Barry County Search and Recovery team, and he had his last dive at age 59.
In their over fifty years of marriage, Jack and Esther traveled to Europe and Mexico and made yearly pilgrimages to Petoskey's Magnus Park enjoying activities in Bay View where John was a Life Member of the Campus Club.
He was preceded in death by both parents, four brothers, his wife and one grandchild, John.
He is survived by two brothers, George and Victor, several nieces and nephews; five children, Kim Walton and Darryl Tietz; David Walton; Ruth and Gary Abbott; Martha and Fred (Fritz) Bowerman; Mary Walton and Bryan Dipp; and his grandchildren: Lander, Mariah, Katy, Elizabeth, Alexandra, Christopher, Stephen, Sadie, Joshua, Tucker, Bryce and Nikki; and ten Great-grandchildren: Lauren and Katherine, Gabryel and Bennett, Claira and Anthony, John (Jack) and Eleni, Ivy, and Raelynn Jo; and his good cat Mabel.
He and his mischievous sense of humor will be greatly missed by his whole family both the official and the multitude of close friends who formed his unofficial family. Special thanks to Todd Hebert and Great Lakes Hospice for the care they provided.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Hastings Community Music School, 200 S. Boltwood St., Hastings, MI 49058
A Memorial visitation will be held on Friday, June 2, from 2-4pm at the Girrbach Funeral Home in Hastings. A Memorial Service will follow the visitation period at 4:00 pm. To leave online condolences visit www.girrbachfuneralhome.net.
John was born in Chicago August 14th 1926 to DeForrest D. and Amelia Louise (Potter) Walton. He moved with his family to Hastings in July of 1929 when his father began practice as an Optometrist—a practice John later assumed. During his High School years, he worked at Hastings City Bank and Hodges Jewelry. Upon John's graduation from Hastings High School in 1944, he enrolled in the University of Michigan to study pre-med. However, he soon heard a rumor that the Navy was re-opening enlistment, so without informing his roommate or his parents, he took the train to Detroit to enlist in the reserves for the duration of the War plus six months. He served as a signalman in the Pacific aboard the USS Auriga. After an honorable discharge, John attended the Northern Illinois College of Optometry on the G.I Bill and then joined his father's practice.
He made his first home on ten acres off of River Road where he lived on July 5th, 1958 when he was married Esther May Summerlott Sugden in the presence of witnesses at the Friends Meeting House in Kalamazoo, Michigan. From there the family moved to a house on Gun Lake and later to the current residence on Green Street where they raised five children (Kim, David, Ruth, Martha, and Mary) and fostered several nieces and a nephew.
In the 1970s he served on the School Board and during his career, John maintained membership in Rotary where he was once President and was a lifelong member of the American Optometric Association. Jack had deep interest in photography and SCUBA diving and was certified by NASDS and checked out in cave diving, ice diving, night diving, wreck diving and deep-water diving. Travels in pursuit of his hobbies included trips across the Great Lakes, Caribbean, Florida Keys, Grand Cayman, and the Republic of Grenada. He served on the Barry County Search and Recovery team, and he had his last dive at age 59.
In their over fifty years of marriage, Jack and Esther traveled to Europe and Mexico and made yearly pilgrimages to Petoskey's Magnus Park enjoying activities in Bay View where John was a Life Member of the Campus Club.
He was preceded in death by both parents, four brothers, his wife and one grandchild, John.
He is survived by two brothers, George and Victor, several nieces and nephews; five children, Kim Walton and Darryl Tietz; David Walton; Ruth and Gary Abbott; Martha and Fred (Fritz) Bowerman; Mary Walton and Bryan Dipp; and his grandchildren: Lander, Mariah, Katy, Elizabeth, Alexandra, Christopher, Stephen, Sadie, Joshua, Tucker, Bryce and Nikki; and ten Great-grandchildren: Lauren and Katherine, Gabryel and Bennett, Claira and Anthony, John (Jack) and Eleni, Ivy, and Raelynn Jo; and his good cat Mabel.
He and his mischievous sense of humor will be greatly missed by his whole family both the official and the multitude of close friends who formed his unofficial family. Special thanks to Todd Hebert and Great Lakes Hospice for the care they provided.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Hastings Community Music School, 200 S. Boltwood St., Hastings, MI 49058
A Memorial visitation will be held on Friday, June 2, from 2-4pm at the Girrbach Funeral Home in Hastings. A Memorial Service will follow the visitation period at 4:00 pm. To leave online condolences visit www.girrbachfuneralhome.net.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of John "Jack" Brower Walton, please visit our flower store.
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