Walter Andrew Netsch Jr.

To Dawn Clark Netsch and other family members: Please accept my deepest sympathy. You are in my thoughts and prayers. I always enjoyed talking with Walter. He was only too happy to share his fascination with the world. His spirit will remain with us.

Margaret Carroll,
Chicago Tribune retiree

In the name of everyone at St. Michael in Old Town Church I wish to express our deep sympathy and tremendous gratitude to Walter as well as Dawn for their wonderful support for our church. Even though they are of a different faith tradition, both have been wonderful supporters of our mission. Our prayers continue for Walter as he now enters the Father's House, an architectural marvel wonderful to behold, and we remember Dawn in our hearts during this time of Walter's passing.

I never met Walter Netsch but my mother did. They shared her very first airplane flight when she was in her sixties. She was afraid of flying but my brother was ill and in the hospital so she really had no choice. Mr. Netsch bought her a drink, calmed her fears and talked to her the whole time. She never forgot his kindness. She was espcially impressed because she said that he didn't try to impress her. She didn't even know that he was anyone important until she showed his business card...

Dear Dawn Clark-Netsch, My sincere condolences on the passing of your dear husband. I worked for you at the law school for six years and I know how very much you loved your Walter. He was a very kind man to everyone, and his architecture is his wonderful legacy, which will always stand. My very best to you at this difficult time, Darlene DeGrazio-Edwards

I would like to offer my personal memories of Walter Netsch as a civic leader. As a lawyer in the 1970s, my colleagues and I at the law firm of Mayer, Brown & Platt had filed a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging unfair distribution of Chicago Park District programs, personnel and facilities. After Harold Washington became Mayor, he appointed Netsch to the board of the CPD, and Netsch became President. Netsch hired us to assist the CPD in working to rectify the very imbalances that we had...