Captain Walter J. Stencil

Captain Walter J. Stencil, U. S. Navy (retired), from the greatest generation, has died while enjoying his 94th year. Hailing from Lorain, Ohio, he was their proud graduate of the U. S. Naval Academy, Class of 1937. Among his catalogue of WWII experiences are major Pacific battles including Pearl Harbor, Coral Sea, Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal, Aleutian Islands, Gilbert Islands, Marshall Islands, Saipan, Surigao Strait and Leyte Gulf, Marianas, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Hero and history maker, a few specifics are: Officer of the Deck (OOD) on the battleship USS Tennessee at Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941; present for the signing of the Tokyo Bay Peace Treaty; Navigator for Third Fleet’s 1945 homecoming (USS Idaho BB 42); personal staff to Commander United Nations Korea during the Korean Conflict; Commanding Officer of destroyer USS Agerholm at the Battle of Inchon; Commander Destroyer Division (DESDIV) 322 at the Suez Canal crisis; Commanding Officer of the USS Sierra AD 18 during peacetime; Commodore Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 2, which participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis; part of Naval Operations 90 planning during the Vietnam Conflict. He served in diplomatic roles as Naval Attaché for the US Embassy in Iran and in Egypt, representing our interests with the Shah of Iran and President Nasser. Additionally, he graduated from the Armed Forces Staff College, the National War College (also was a professor there), and he received a Masters Degree in International Relations from George Washington University. After the Navy, Captain Stencil came to the Eastern Shore of Maryland where he was the founding President of Kirkland Hall College in Easton. Kirkland Hall was distinguished in the Washington Post as a leading school of ecology. Following those years, he took a second venture as a founding President for Ocean City College, Ocean City. He recently celebrated 66 years of marriage with his loving wife Francesca. His legacy includes seven children (Jay, Jeffra, Katy, Craig, Lisa, Buttons and Rooney), their spouses, 13 grandchildren, and their first great grandchild. Two of his children followed in his footsteps and graduated from the United States Naval Academy. Walter Stencil was a symbol of the mighty and heroic generation that served America. He was a wonderful family man with a great sense of humor; he never met a stranger and always had a kind word of encouragement for whatever the circumstance. His family will celebrate his phenomenal life at a private memorial service in October. As a former member of the Board of Trustees, he requested remembrances be dedicated to the U. S. Naval Academy Foundation. Arrangements are by Fellows, Helfenbein and Newnam Funeral Home, P.A., Easton, MD.

Captain Walter J. Stencil

October 11, 1914 - August 21, 2008