Harold Walters III

Chattanooga - Harold Ernest Walters, III, known as Flyrod to his Oak Ridge High School buddies and H.E. to friends and family, died peacefully at Tripler Hospital in Honolulu at 87, on Feb. 23, 2024.

Born on Jan. 8, 1937, to H.E. (Bucky) Walters of Karns, Tenn., and Kathleen (Kat) Walters of Morristown, Tenn. Harold is survived by his sister Wylene Owens of Oak Ridge, Tenn.; brother Gary Walters (Sybil) of Arlington, Tex.; children Kelley Rebori (John), Hal (Susan) and Elizabeth Navon (Sam); nieces, nephews and too many grandpets to list. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Neil Walters.

Born in Morristown, Tenn., Harold moved with his family to Oak Ridge, where his father worked in the war effort. A proud graduate of Oak Ridge High School, Harold went on to serve in the Army before attending undergraduate and graduate school at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. While there, he met and married Donna Greiner of Conway, Ark.

After receiving a Master's in Planning and a short stint working in Morristown, Tenn., the family settled in Chattanooga, Tenn. Harold worked for the City of Chattanooga Planning Agency for more than 20 years and was instrumental in researching and planning the North Shore area, including the aquarium.

In the early 90s, he retired from the Planning Agency and began traveling. His favorite places were New York (any Broadway show and Gray's Papaya hot dogs), Atlanta (Chastain Park concerts and Dave & Buster's) and Honolulu. Having been drawn to the Hawaiian islands by the radio shows of his youth, he moved to Honolulu and spent his last years in an apartment that was a two-block walk to Waikiki Beach and the always lei-covered Duke Paoa Kahnamoku Statue. He loved smoking a cigar and working a puzzle on the lanai, walking to the Dilligham fountain, and also going to the Halekulani Hotel for the holiday buffet.

Harold was a proud fan of the UT Volunteers and a lifelong season ticket holder of UT football tickets. He also rooted for the Atlanta Braves, cheering when they won the 2021 World Series. He grew up watching Westerns at the Saturday matinee, and as an adult, traveled to conventions and made cherished friends with fellow Western movie fans.

The family will be holding a private celebration of life at a later date. If you would like to honor Harold, the family requests donations be made to the American Cancer Society in Harold's name, or if you're so moved, to extend a kind act to a veteran.