Walter Wendlandt

1929 - 2014

Walter George Wendlandt passed away peacefully September 4, 2014 surrounded by his family and while listening to the Spirit of Aggieland in Austin, Texas. He was born in Austin, Texas on July 7, 1929. He was the second of two sons born to Charles and Helen Wendlandt. He lost his mother when he was four years old and his father when he was eleven years old. He and his older brother, Charles, were then raised by their beloved Aunt, Emma Wendlandt Savage and his Grandmother, Sophie Wendlandt.
He graduated from Austin High School at the age of seventeen and immediately enrolled at Texas A&M (a family tradition with a few exceptions) and graduated at the age of twenty in 1949 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a proud member of the Texas Aggie Band and Corp of Cadets.
He then spent two years in the United States Army before going to work as an engineer in the oil fields of Louisiana and Colorado. At that point, he decided it was time to do something different and he enrolled in law school at the University of Texas, graduating with a Juris Doctorate in Law in 1958. During that time he was set up on a blind date by his Aunt Jimmy, then the Texas Senate Secretary, with the daughter of then Senator and Major General James E. Taylor, Shirley Taylor. Shortly thereafter, they married and started a family. They had three sons, James, Cavitt and Bill Wendlandt. Walter and Shirley shared fifty two wonderful years together.
Walter was born into a family who were all involved in real estate, his grandfather, Carl Wendlandt, establishing a real estate company in Austin in 1903 named Carl Wendlandt & Sons. He was first employed, after graduation from law school, as a hearings examiner for the Texas Railroad Commission. He advanced to Director of both the Oil and Gas Utilities and the Transportation Division. During the day he worked for the citizens of the State of Texas at the Railroad Commission. In the evenings and on weekends he and his brother Charles worked in real estate. He and Charles together planned and built the first air conditioned mall in Austin, Texas in 1967, Southwood Mall, located in south Austin on Ben White Boulevard. His sons remember many a night going to sleep to the sound of their Dad banging away on an "old school" typewriter in his home office. Charles managed the construction and Walter handled the legal work related to finding tenants and drafting leases. He retired from the Railroad Commission in 1982. While he retired from government work, he never retired. He continued practicing law helping friends and family, and poured more time into real estate and oil and gas investments. In 1985, he began purchasing and assembling property in Lago Vista ("Lago" as he called it), Texas. After purchasing the property in Lago, he would load up his pole saw, chain saw and head to Lago. He cleared the land by cutting down the cedar trees (he hated these as he correctly identified them as a nonnative, weed tree) and trimming the oak trees. Shortly thereafter, he began building duplexes on his Lago property. At his passing he was in the process of completing his eleventh duplex with his friend and builder, Bob Hope. He absolutely loved going to Lago. At his sons' urging he finally hired help to handle the mowing and tree trimming at the age of seventy-eight. He insisted on handling all other matters, to include advertising, showing and signing up tenants through August of this year.
Walter had many passions consistent with his core values. Those core values and passions included loyalty, honesty, family, friends, fairness, hard work, all things related to Texas A&M, real estate, oil and gas, scouting, ATP Oil and Gas in Houston, Texas, travel and Lago. He had many, many friends that he treasured deeply, too many to name here. He was the type of man that you could always go to if you needed help. He was always there to help you solve your difficulties.
After his first wife, Shirley, passed on December 28, 2007 he was fortunate enough to meet, several years later, Sonia Meserole. Sonia and Walter married on April 28, 2010. Walter was blessed to not only have one, but two wonderful women to share life with him. Carrying on the tradition he established, Walter and Sonia shared many trips to Port Aransas, Kentucky for the Kentucky Derby, Colorado and Europe for pleasure, as well as, road trips all over Texas so that Walter could check on his oil and gas properties or just drive the back roads. In addition, Sonia brought her son, Greg, and daughter, Dana, and all their children into the family.
Walter is survived by his sons, James and his wife, Claire, Cavitt and his wife, Linda, Bill, Greg Meserole and his wife, Susie, and his daughter Dana DeLorenzo and her husband Matt. In addition, his grandchildren, Michael, Callie, Catherine, Morgan, Camryn, Shea, Madison, Meghan, Noble and Miller. Further, many nephews, nieces, cousins and hundreds of friends.
A visitation will be held at Weed-Corley-Fish on North Lamar from 6:00 p.m. till 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 11, 2014. The funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, September 12, 2014 at Weed-Corley-Fish with a graveside service following at Austin Memorial Park. Pallbearers are James Wendlandt, Cavitt Wendlandt, Bill Wendlandt, Greg Meserole, Dana DeLorenzo and Arlon Bindseil. Honorary pallbearers are Dr. Kent Beasley, Paul Bulmahn, Van Cain, Art Dilley, Don Ray George, Phil Robinson, Jimmy Simpson, Hiram Smith and Ben Spaeth. Following the graveside service, a gathering of friends and family will be held at Saengerrunde Hall located at 1607 San Jacinto Street, Austin, Texas.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Louise House, 2026 Guadalupe, Austin, Texas 78705, Seton Fund W4 IC Nurses, 1208 W. 38th Street, Austin, Texas 78705, Texas Scottish Rite Children's Hospital, Attn: Development Board, 2222 Wilborn, Dallas, Texas 75219 or the Texas A&M Corp of Cadets.
Obituary and Guestbook
available online at
www.wcfish.com
Arrangements by
Weed-Corley-Fish
Funeral Home,
3125 N Lamar Blvd,
Austin, TX 78705
(512) 452-8811