Keith Walters

W. Keith Walters, of Bozman, MD, a photographer, writer and outdoor columnist for The Star Democrat,died at Memorial Hospital at Easton on Wednesday afternoon, October 8, 2008. He was 77. Born October 9, 1930 in Mankato, Minnesota, he was the son of Emma Tounette Knutson Walters and William Roy Walters. After Mr. Walters' parents died, he went to live with his aunt, Alice Florence Knutson Moss, and uncle, James Hanson Moss, in Glen Burnie, MD. He graduated from Glen Burnie High School in 1947. On June 17, 1955, he and the former, Jean Carole Stewart were married in Glen Burnie. Mr. Walters served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War from March 1952 through December 1953. He received a Korean Service Medal with two Bronze Stars, a Good Conduct Medal, a Combat Infantry Badge, a National Defense Service Medal, and the United Nations Service Medal. After Korea, he also served in the U.S. Navy Reserve and was honorably discharged in 1957. He then worked for the U.S. Civil Service as a scientific and technical photographer at the U.S. Naval Engineering Experiment Station in Annapolis until September 1960, when he transferred to the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, as Photo Section Head. He held that post until May 1979. Then Mr. Walters was reassigned to NASA Headquarters as a Visual Information Specialist and took an early retirement in September 1979. In 1981, he and his wife Carole, an artist who also edited Mr. Walters' books, retired to the Eastern Shore. They built a home on Broad Creek in Talbot County and became involved in the Mid-Shore community. Mr. Walters, who wrote six books on fishing and hunting, also wrote a regular boating and fishing column for the Mariner Magazine, and wrote articles for many outdoors and sports magazines, including Boaters Digest, Chesapeake Bay Magazine, Coastal Fisherman, Field and Stream, Fishing & Hunting Journal and Gun Dog. His books include: Angler's Workbench, Catching Striped Bass,Chesapeake Boogaloo, Chesapeake Stripers, Ingenious Angler and Chesapeake Outdoors. Mr. Walters had written his column, Up the Creek, in The Star Democrat and The Sunday Star since 2001. His final column was published Sunday, September 28. He was a member of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association, Stripers Forever, Old Reel Collectors Association, Florida Antique Tackle Collectors. He was a former member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America and the Mason-Dixon Outdoor Writers Association. A co-founding member of the Maryland Coastal Conservation Association, he set up the first chapter of the Maryland Salt Water Sport Fisherman's Association which met in Easton. During 1984 and 1985, he served on the Board of Directors of the Waterfowl Festival Inc. in Easton. He also was chairman of the Festival's Photography Exhibit those two years. From 1988 to 1993, he chaired the Maryland Duck Stamp Display and was instrumental in bringing the display to the Festival, and then served as a volunteer with the Festival's carving exhibits in 1994 and 1995. He was a past master of the Granite Lodge #177 in St. Michaels. Mr. Walters is survived by his wife, Carole, of Bozman, and his sister-in-law, Debra Stewart Gilbert, of Tampa, Fla. A memorial service will be held Friday, October 17,2008 at 2 p.m. at St. Mark's United Methodist Church on Peachblossom Road, Easton. The Rev. Gary Moore will conduct the service. Burial will be private. Memorial donations in lieu of flowers may be made to Talbot Hospice Foundation, 586 Cynwood Drive, Easton, MD 21601. Arrangements are by Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam Funeral Home, P.A., Easton.

Keith Walters

October 9, 1930 - October 8, 2008