Leroy H. Walter Jr

Walter, LeRoy H. "Roy" Jr., died at peace August 26, 2016, at Episcopal Church Home after a brief battle with cancer. He was 66 years old, the last 22 of them a gift from God, the Norton Suburban Hospital emergency room staff and Dr. William DeVries for making him one of the extremely few people ever rescued from a ruptured aortic aneurysm.

A graduate of Atherton High School (1967) and Kentucky Wesleyan College (1971, editor of school newspaper), Roy followed in his father's ink-stained footprints and spent nearly his entire 42-year career at The Louisville Times and Courier-Journal. As one of the last of a now vanished breed of sports copy editors, he could turn haphazard writing into lucid prose, doing so with a quiet humility that was a leavening force in the madcap milieu of deadline pressure. After his retirement in 2012, he edited for Louisvillecatholicsports.com, largely for love of the game, and continued cheering for his beloved Louisville Cardinals.

Born September 18, 1949, in Elgin, Ill., Roy was preceded in death by his parents, LeRoy "Bud" and Mildred Elva McMasters Walter, and a sister, Janyce Walter Espie.

He is survived by his wife of five years, Kathy E. Sizemore Walter; daughters Rebecca "Becky" Walter Hines (Dave) and Erin Walter Barton (Neil); son Doug Walter (Mallory); grandchildren Quinn and Graham Hines, Cole and Kendall Barton and William Walter; sister Joyce Hyslop (Thomas Allen Sr.); uncle W. C. McMasters; niece Diane Anderson (Jason); and nephews Dan Espie (Christie), Thomas Hyslop Jr. (Wendy) and Michael Hyslop (Mary); and several cousins, great nieces and nephews.

The family is grateful to the staffs at Baptist Health, Norton Brownsboro Hospital, Frazier Rehab and Episcopal Church Home, plus Dr. Jane Cornett of Louisville Palliative Care, for their aid and comfort in Roy's final weeks. Thanks also for the prayers of Roy's friends, family and fellow members at Southeast Christian Church.

First visitation will be from 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday, August 30, 2016 at Newcomer Funeral Home East Louisville Chapel, (235 Juneau Drive, Louisville, KY 40243). Second visitation will be at Southeast Christian Church (920 Blankenbaker Pkwy, Louisville, KY 40243) from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Wednesday, August 31, 2016 with the funeral service to follow. Inurnment will be at a later date at Cave Hill Cemetery.

Memorial gifts may be made to Southeast Christian Church or a charity of your choice.