Walter Henry Bissell III, 84, of Vero Beach, passed away peacefully and surrounded by his family on April 9, 2016.
He is survived by his beloved wife Sally Hitz Volkert Bissell; children Jeff (LeeAnn) Bissell of San Francisco, Nancy (Steven) Davis of Ann Arbor, and Katherine Cordova of Chicago; Scott (Shelley) Volkert of Grand Rapids, Chris (Holli) Volkert of Lake Bluff, and Jeff (Amy) Volkert of Denver; 18 grandchildren: Joe and Jillian Bissell, Todd, Laura, Leah and Hannah Davis, Sofia and Mateo Cordova, Zach, Austin, Claire and Emma Volkert, Chantal, Wren, Willow and Rye Volkert, and Emery and Alec Volkert; special friend and brother-in-law Jeff Hitz (Jane), many loving nieces and nephews, and first wife Jane Doherty Johnson. He is also survived by wonderful friends, too numerous to count.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Walter Jr. and Mary Bissell, and his sisters Anne (Keith) Campbell and Mary Lee (John) Turner and nephew Johnnie Turner.
Bissell (a.k.a Walt, Wally, Papa Wally, and Uncle Bud), was born on Jan. 11, 1932 in Wausau, Wis.
He was an Eagle Scout at age 15, such a feat at that age that President Truman sent him a letter of congratulations. He graduated from Wausau High School in 1950, where he was the class valedictorian and captain of the football and basketball teams. He graduated from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis. in 1954 with a degree in Economics. At Lawrence he served as President of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity and was enrolled in the ROTC program.
Following his graduation from Lawrence, Bissell served for two years in the U.S. Air Force in Germany. He returned to the U.S. and enrolled in the Harvard Business School where he received his MBA in 1958.
He settled in Chicago with his first wife Jane where he started his career and family. He spent his career in the financial industry in Chicago at Harris Bank and Duff and Phelps, retiring from Duff & Phelps in 1990.
He married Sally Hitz Volkert on Nov. 30, 2002 at the Kenilworth Union Church and has since considered her children and grandchildren his own.
Bissell made good friends wherever he went, and he had an enviable knack for remembering everything about them. He was a golf enthusiast (some would say fanatic) who made many trips with his golfing friends to major golf courses in Scotland, Ireland, England and the US. He enjoyed traveling, making trips to Europe and China, and this complemented his love and knowledge of history.
He was a voracious reader, and in addition to history books and novels on his Kindle, he read three newspapers a day and several weekly magazines. He was a devoted Packer fan and season ticket holder, enjoying many games and tailgate parties over six decades at Milwaukee County Stadium and Lambeau Field.
Off the field, Bissell was a student of the game of Bridge, which he enjoyed playing with his friends. His memory for absolutely everything astounded his friends and family, he was a human search engine. This included an encyclopedic knowledge of jokes-both good and bad-with which he entertained all of those around him. He was a stickler for English grammar, and he enjoyed helping others out with theirs.
Walt served as a board member at the Winnetka Community House, treasurer of Skokie Country Club and director of the Skokie Educational Fund as well as many other board committees, was an active member of The Moorings Club in Vero Beach and a long time Board Member of Fox Meadow Community Association. He was a dedicated member of Christ Church in Winnetka and a volunteer delivery driver for Meals on Wheels. He was a generous supporter of his alma mater, Lawrence University, and established a scholarship in his family’s name.
A celebration of life will be held in Vero Beach at the Moorings Club on Saturday, April 23 at 3 p.m.
A celebration of Walt’s life is also scheduled for June 4 at Christ Church in Winnetka, Ill., at 3 p.m., with a reception to follow at Skokie Country Club.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Walt’s memory to Christ Church of Winnetka or VNA Hospice House of Vero Beach, 901 37th Street, Vero Beach, Florida 32963.
The family would like to thank Rev. Christopher Powell for his compassion, extraordinary timing in visiting Walt in the hospital and his guidance, the many Vero Beach friends who were so kind and generous with visits, food and comfort during Walt’s final days, and the caring staff and volunteers at VNA Hospice House in Vero Beach.
Arrangements are under the direction of Strunk Funeral Home and Crematory, Vero Beach. A guest book is available at www.strunkfuneralhome.com.
