Walter M. Coughlin

Walter (Wally) Coughlin was born and raised in San Francisco’s Forest Hill neighborhood. Son of the late Walter and Irene Coughlin. He had one brother and three sisters who have all passed. Survived by several nephews and a niece. He attended St. Brendan’s Grammar School and then Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco. (Class of 1958). He then attended San Francisco City College.

Walter worked and travelled around the country as a typographer ad and makeup man. He worked at many newspapers on the Eastern Seaboard, the St. Louis Dispatch, Chicago Tribune and Florida newspapers. Settling at the San Francisco Examiner and Chronicle where he spent most of his time working in the ad department as an ad makeup man. Walter worked there over thirty years. He was a member of the San Francisco Typographical Union No. 21. Later to be known as

Northern California Media Workers Guild Typographical Union – CWS, Local 39521.

He loved going to Flea Markets in Sebastopol and Santa Rosa. Spending his weekends there, buying and looking for antique toys, tools, collectibles or items he knew his friends would like. He even found Waterford Crystal in his purchases.

Walter liked to grow lots of heirloom tomatoes in his garden, which he always gave away. He didn’t like tomatoes but he sure liked to make his friends happy with the fresh produce. You couldn’t leave his home without a gift of vegetables, See’s Candy certificates or something he picked up for you. He will be missed.

He will be buried at Holy Cross Cemetary, Colma with his parents.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to American Made Miniatures Farm Sanctuary, 1 Sonoma Mountain Road, Petaluma, CA 94954