Walter B. Gartner

Jan. 29, 1929 – Jan. 24, 2019

Beloved husband, father, and “silly” grandpa, Walter B. Gartner passed away at home Jan. 24 with Nancy, his wife of 42 years, at his side. He was born in Washington, D.C., but lived most of his life in the Bay Area. He greeted life with an open heart and an inquisitive mind.

He had a terrific sense of humor. He did the Sunday New York Times crossword faster than most in (erasable) ink. Not one to lose to his grandkids at Scrabble, he studied the dictionary and memorized words beginning with “x” and “y” between matches. In the days of dial-up modems, he tied up the phone for seven hours to download a flight simulator to play online with his grandson.

He held the distinction of serving in three branches of the military. At age 17 he enlisted in the Navy’s flight school, then transferred to the Army Air Corps when he turned 18. When the Air Force became a separate branch, he followed and became a fighter pilot in the Korean War, among the first to fly night missions.

After leaving the Air Force, he worked as a human factors engineer for government agencies and private contractors in the aerospace industry, including the space shuttle. He earned a B.S. and an M.A. in experimental psychology and pursued studies in consciousness and perception. In 1965 he made history as a member of the first team to circle the earth flying over both the North and South Poles. He enjoyed golf, loved jazz standards, studied the clarinet, and said he would die happy if he could play the second movement of Mozart’s clarinet quintet.

He achieved much but what we carry in our hearts is his generous spirit, curious nature, lack of pretense, and his ability to be silly. He was a compassionate and humble warrior. He is survived by wife, Nancy Dennett of Sonoma, son, Alex Gartner of Boulder Creek, sister, Ruth Griffin of Roswell, GA, four stepsons, nieces, nephews, and 8 grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Hospice by the Bay 190 W Napa St, Sonoma, CA 95476.