Walter Gumpper

Dear friends,

                Ann, Robert and Jean wanted to take this opportunity to personally share with you that our dad, Walter, passed away unexpectedly but very peacefully on May 3^rd, at Parkland Hospital in Derry, NH. 

                For most of his life, he resided in Pennsylvania.  For the past 10 years, he resided at Birch Heights senior living community in Derry NH, where he was close to Mom who was residing at the Warde Health Nursing Home in Windham, NH.  He visited Mom nearly every day until she passed away in February 2017.  Since June 2022, he has been residing at Warde Health Assisted Living Center.  The staff at Warde Health knew Dad from the time he was visiting Mom in the full care center.  They were so delighted to be able to assist Dad this year with anything he needed, mostly managing his medications due to his diminished eyesight.  They shared with us what a “delightful gentleman” he was, and that they loved to hear the music and audio books he had been listening to over the past few months.

                Dad was born in West Chester, PA and grew up in the Phoenixville, PA area, where he attended Phoenixville High School.  He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II aboard the USS Midway and the USS Miami in the Pacific theater. 

                After his Navy service, Dad and Mom met on the train to Philadelphia and their romance and 65 years together began there.  A year later, Mom and Dad were married at St. Ann’s Church, Phoenixville, in September 1952.  It led them from Phoenixville to Reading.  First, in a beautiful brick two story at 205 Emerald Avenue in Pennside, and then to the home they built at 1313 Scott Court in Whitfield.

                His working career was in Purchasing in the steel industry, rising to be the Purchasing Agent for Birdsboro Steel and finally until the closing of the plants as the Chief Operating Officer.

                Dad enjoyed time spent with family and friends and was known for hosting spirited Christmas Eve open houses for many years. He enjoyed golf and was a lifelong golfer.  He loved music, especially the big band genre, specifically the greats like Arty Shaw, Glen Miller and Benny Goodman.  And he said the thing he loved most, was dancing with Mom.  He told us that they were made to dance with each other.

                He was predeceased by Mom, his wife of now 72 years, Ann Mildred.  He is survived by his children, Ann and her husband Ken Jones of Londonderry, NH, Rob Gumpper and his wife Diane of Romney, WV, and Jean and her husband Mike Sullivan of Woburn, MA.  He is the proud grandfather of Elizabeth and her husband Steve Marquardo, Kristine and her husband Rob Arey, Jennifer and her husband Jothan Massey, Matthew Jones and his wife Kenlyn, Jonathan Gumpper, James Gumpper, Jacob Gumpper, Sean Sullivan, Justin Sullivan and Kate Sullivan.  And Dad felt blessed to also be the great grandfather of Grace and Parker Massey, Jackson and Lucy Marquardo, and Clara Arey.

                A funeral service for Dad will be held on Saturday, June 10, at 10 am at the St. Ann’s Catholic Church, 502 Main Street, Phoenixville, PA 19460.  Attendees are invited to meet at the church. Burial to follow at St. Ann Cemetery, 305 W Pothouse Road, Phoenixville.  If we don’t get to see you in June, know that you are in our thoughts and that Dad had great memories and stories to share with us over the years of his time spent with you.

Sincerely,

Ann and Ken Jones
Robert and Diane Gumpper
Jean and Mike Sullivan