Walter J. Friese III

Walter J. Friese III

Of the World - an intrepid traveler who enjoyed art, languages and cultures as well as teaching and learning, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, February 6, 2021 at age 71. We were not ready for him to leave us, but his relentless authenticity and insatiable desire to learn are imprinted and persist.

Walter was born on April 12, 1949 to Walter and Rita (née Wagner) Friese in Sheboygan, WI. He grew up in Sheboygan attending St. Clement Elementary School and Sheboygan North High School ('67). He spent his summers at Crystal Lake. Walter graduated from UW-Whitewater where he received his degree in Business. After graduation he married Carole (née Bach) Friese and they raised three children together. While no longer married, the two remained co-parents and friends throughout their lives.

Walter's initial career after graduating was in fashion buying at Boston Store, and later apparel marketing at Ralph Marlin. His passion, however, was always learning and travelling. He took courses in philosophy and education at UW-Milwaukee as a returning student. And he treasured the freedom of retirement, moving to Cuenca, Ecuador in 2013 where he learned Spanish and advocated for indigenous art. Walter then fully embraced a nomadic lifestyle, travelling throughout South America, Europe and Southeast Asia from 2016-2019. He moved to Mexico in January 2020, but moved back to Milwaukee in the summer of 2020 in order to stay safe and close to family during the Covid pandemic. Over the past year, he satiated his need to travel and learn by becoming a highly skilled and much-loved English language teacher. He was also an avid camper.

Walter's biggest love was for his family, and he gave them his everything. Walter is survived by his daughter Sarah, her husband Trenton Raygor and grandsons August and Roman; his son Matthew and his wife Alicia Svenson; daughter Carrie and granddaughter Hazel Miller-Friese; sister Cindy; niece Jennifer Held; and nephews Ben and Paul Rohling.

Walter was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Claudia Rohling.

A celebration honoring Walter's life will take place on Saturday, August 21, 2021 from 1:00 to 5:00PM at the Cottonwood Social, 276 Victorian Village Dr, Elkhart Lake, WI 53020.

The family asks that any donations in Walter's name be made to the Concordia Language Villages Passport Fund.