Steven Howard Walter

Steven “Steve” Howard Walter, 67, Hudson, Wisconsin, passed away Wednesday, September 14, 2016, at the Methodist Hospital of the Mayo Center, in Rochester, Minnesota.

A private service was held on Saturday, September 17, 2016, at the Simonet Funeral Home in Stillwater, Minnesota. Burial followed at the Fairview Cemetery in Stillwater.

Steve was born in 1949 in Dubuque, Iowa to Howard and Esther Walter. He graduated from Dubuque Senior High School in 1968. On September 19, 1970, he married Violette Weber in Dubuque, and remained married until he passed. Steve graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Occupational Safety from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 1973.

He started his career in fire protection safety consulting in Chicago, Illinois, and pursued that career with a passion for 43 years. He served large clients such as Target, General Motors, and the former Northwest Airlines. He also served as the global fire protection consultant Account Manager for 3M, responsible for all their fire protection reviews worldwide.

Steve’s other passion was fishing, which he enjoyed since childhood, spending many days and weekends at the family cabin in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.

He was an extremely devoted husband, father, and grandfather. His daughter, Jessica Joy (Walter) Lopez, and his grandson, Buren Alexander Lopez, were the lights of his life. He was loved by family, friends, colleagues, and clients, and could always cause them to smile.

He is survived by his widow, Violette Walter, of Hudson, Wisconsin, his daughter, Jessica Lopez, and grandson, Buren Lopez, of Marina del Rey, California, his twin brothers Don and Ron Walter, of Seymour Tennessee, and Edgerton, Wisconsin, respectively. He is also survived by an aunt, Mairlyn Block, of Davenport, Iowa, several nieces and nephews, friends, colleagues, and many other relatives. He was preceded in death by his parents, Howard and Esther Walter, in 2014.