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Walter L. Harrison, Malverne High School class of 1962, passed on December 9, 2017. This is his obituary from the Tennessean:
Nashville - Walter L. Harrison, MD, 73. Formerly of Peabody, MA, Malverne, NY, and late of Nashville, TN.
Walter was an adoring husband of 23 years to the love of his life, his "Queenie" Jackie, and proud father of his five children. He passed after a brief illness on Saturday, December 9, 2017, surrounded by his family.
A nationally respected pediatrician and Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Walter practiced medicine until 72 years old. He practiced in Lynn, MA for over 35 years and rounded out his career in Tennessee. He served as Chief of Pediatrics at North Shore Children's Hospital, Lynn Hospital and Union Hospital. He was active in the Massachusetts Academy of Pediatrics, and made remarkable strides in legislation for pediatric mental health and expanding healthcare coverage for children.
Walter loved the Red Sox, Celtics, and Patriots, chocolate pudding, and his family with the joie d'vivre of a large child exploring the world for the first time. He loved Jewish learning, and was active in his Jewish communities and synagogues in both Peabody and Nashville. He served in Brotherhood, B'nai Brith, and as Ritual Chairman for Temple Ner Tamid in Peabody, MA.
He is survived by his wife Jacalyn Harrison; children Lisa Austin, Michael and Peggy Harrison, Daniel Harrison, Nick and Val Kaplan, and Shana and Alex Beach; brother Andrew and Adrienne Harrison; grandchildren Molly and Jake Harrison, Pierce and Amelia Rose Kaplan, and Gabby and Sam Beach; as well as nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents Leonard and Jean Harrison of Dartmouth, New Hampshire.
As a man who believed in giving thanks every day both for what you do have and for what you don't have the family requests contributions in Walter's memory to the charity of your choice![]() in lieu of flowers.
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/tennessean/obituary.aspx?pid=187529841
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Glenn Stewart
We called him Wally to differentiate. I liked him. He didn't pick on me and was my size. I was screwing his Reunion count because I could not be sure if I could make it to the island in time. Finally I said I would just send a check as it was a good cause. This kinda thing was very important to Wally and I was messing him up. Even so, he said pay me when you get there if the boat makes it. Stand up guy in the end. The other Walter was Walter Harrison.
Lee Goldberg
I remember Walter (Wally) as a very bright good natured guy who loved to fool around and was quick to laugh. He was always kind to people, never a bully, besides, I was 6' 2"
May his family be comforted among those who mourn Zion and Jerusalem.
Dorothy Helgesen (Pfuhl)
Wally was always in my homeroom and often sat next to me. I remember he was always smiling and always kind. His family and patients and their families were blessed to have him in their lives. He did a great job with the reunion...lots of good memories!
Marc Saperstein
.For some reason, he was always "Walter" to me. He lived just a couple of blocks from my house, and we were friends through elementary school, junior high, and high school. More than that, we maintained a relationship throughout the years. Needless to say I had great rtespect for his work as a phyician, and was extremely grateful for his leadership in organizing the reunion. But in addition, he sent out rather frequent group messages about current events, and even though I did not always agree with the political agenda behind the messages, they were frequently stimulating. Walter was also eager to respond when issues were occasionallyt raised by others rn response to his messages. I will miss these messages.
It was just a few weeks ago that he responded to a personal message I sent him about his health, and - while recognizing the seriousness of the medical problems he had been confronting - he seemed optimistic that he would recover. It is a shock to realize that he is no longer with us in the same way. But the memory of his friendship remains precious to me.
Marc Saperstein.
Glenn Stewart
In reading my own post I see I made a mistake. Should have said the other Walter was Walter Harris not Harrison. Linder Place felt a need to to change Walter to Wally in the Doctor's case. Less confusion they said. I don't think Marc got the memo. He was absent that day if I remember correctly.
Sharlene Schmidt (Vichness)
Walter (Wally) was the first kid I met in Mrs. Parker's 1st grade and he was a dear friend to me for all our lives. He was always there for me as we grew up and moved through the Malverne school system. As college students and as adults, we reconnected from time to time at different stages of life for lunch or dinner and our spouses had the opportunity to know one another as well . Wally always saw the glass as half-full and never as half-empty, always had a smile on his face, and always had time for everyone. I remember his campaign slogan, "Be Happy with Harrison" and it always seemed to me that he lived by that. I can't believe he is gone after just reading his up-beat holiday letter and his putting his illness in the past, already visualizing the path toward full recovery. Walter was a ''one-of-a-kind" person and will be sorely missed by anyone on the planet fortunate to have known him. My heart reaches out to Jackie and his children and I hope they will find peace in joyful memories of him.
Christa Ressmeyer (Klein)
Like Marc, I always called him Walter, too--maybe because in 4th year Latin he, too, attended the 7:30 a.m. class. Serious stuff. But he was always awake and, I suspect, an early riser. He did everything: tennis, column in The Mule, excelled in all his classes, knew everybody, and of course was the energizer bunny behind our 50th reunion.
More then that, he and Jacqui called and visited us for breakfast one summer morning in the past three years. We had a delightful time sharing life stories and sitting on our screened porch in north Wilmington, Delaware. The conversation was sparkling and memorable (even if I can't place the date at the moment).
He was a man with a genuine capacity for hospitality and friendship. I grieve that he was struck down by an undetected disease, but then the mysteries of our bodies never cease to confound me. He reminds us of how precious our days are, now that we have more of them behind us than ahead.
I give thanks for him and pray for Jacqui and their children. As the Psalmist says, he is the apple of God's eye and now hides at rest in the shadow of his wings. Christa Ressmeyer (Klein)
Ivan Wolff
I, like Marc Saperstein, just a few weeks ago responded to his upbeat note about his illness over the last 18 months or so. Walter and I were good friends throughout our school days. I remember that in those days - even in elementary school - it was okay to ride my bike the 4 or 5 blocks to his house by myself.
He put together a wonderful reunion which reignited lots of memories of Malverne and renewed old friendships. And as others have noted he was an upbeat, staunch family guy - devoted to his wife Jackie and proud of his children. I will miss him.
Karen Alexander (Cohen)
I am so sad and heartbroken to hear of the death of Walter. I loved to get his Emails and jokes. His jokes were, many times, the source of the "Giggles and Nosh" section of a Bulliton that I wrote for the organization that I belong to. In his Emails, Walter would always ask about the health of my husband Max. Always a kind and careing person, that was just the way he was. I will always remember the time that he and Jackie spent a wonderful and fun afternoon at my house in between the end of a cruise and their plane trip back to Tennnessee. We started out by taking a car tour of Ft. Lauderdale. We ended up at my house where we had lunch. My husband and I were going to take the same cruise two weeks later and we were very interested in hearing every thing about the ship and all the things that they did. Walter and Jackie setteled on my couch and we spent the rest of the afternoon talking and laughing. I have a wonderful picture of Walter and my cat Button Walter decided to lay down on the couch and have a rest. My cat saw the oppertunity to get up on Walter's chest an join him in his nap. They looked so comfortable together. Max and I send our sincerest condolances to Jackie and family. Walter will be missed, not only by his classmates, but by all of the people that were touched by him.