Larry Dale Walter

Larry Dale Walter April 9, 1943 - July 16, 2022

Larry Dale Walter passed away on the night of July 16 in Santa Rosa, CA after an arduous battle with the complications from a stroke. He is now at peace.

He is survived by his son, Christopher Walter, his daughter-in-law, Emily Quinlivan, Grandchildren Maya and Asher Walter, his aunt Carlene, and his love of more than 20 years, Ann Grauss. Larry was twice married and twice divorced and also leaves behind a step-son, Gregory Walter. He is preceded in death by his parents, Floris and Dale Walter.

Almost everyone who knew Larry described him as larger than life. He was born in West Palm Beach, Florida to overjoyed parents and was their cherished only son. His childhood was spent in Santa Maria, California where he enjoyed hunting, fishing, cars and even built his first boat. Here he graduated from high school and matriculated into Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo where he settled into a course of study in Architecture. This is where he met his first wife, Claire, and married in 1968. In June 1970 he graduated from Cal Poly with a Bachelors Degree in Architecture and moved to the bay area to start practicing his art.

As he settled into Marin county, he began a life long love of sailing and purchased an Islander 28. He sailed out of the Sausalito Yacht club and was often found racing one the bay. He built two houses in Marin county one in Tam junction on Marin Drive, and the other, a beach house, in Bolinas. Both still stand today, and have been featured in magazines for their unique style.

In 1975, Larry and Claire welcomed into the world their son, Christopher, who spent his earliest life watching his parents construct their homes and sailing on the bay.

Larry spent his entire career here in the bay area starting in Sausalito with the firm of Donald Olson. Here he met his future business partner and in the 1980's started the Walter and Wager architectural firm in Sausalito. Well known for their artistic style throughout the area, they were inseparable and practiced together continuously until there closed their practice in 2016. They were often sighted eating lunch together at Feng Nian in Sausalito.

Through a robust career was instrumental in shaping the architectural landscape of Marin County. Many will remember him for the "Cantina" chain of restaurants as well as several remakes of the "Upstart Crow." Surrounded by the burgeoning shift to computer aided drawing he was a stalwart of hand drawn plans and drew every one of his creations by hand.

A true artist he brought the craftsman style to many of his works and transformed many properties and houses. In the 1970's, Sunset magazine honored the design of his house at 858 Marin Drive in their magazine. He has since won numerous awards for his talented architectural works. If you are lucky enough to live or work in a Larry Walter original design you are truly blessed in this life.

His art carried into many avenues of his life including photography, wood working, boat building, birdhouse crafting and beer brewing. Whatever he was working on he was passionate about and poured his soul into.

In 1982, Larry married his second wife Jennifer, and helped to raise his step-son Gregory. He taught his boy's how to sail, how to create, how to work with their hands, to be self reliant and to love life to its' fullest. It was during this time he purchased his second sailboat, Mistress and sailed it from Marina Del Rey to Sausalito up the California coast.

Larry has alway's been known for his love of the water from his day's sailing and racing out of the Sausalito Yacht Club to motoring around Lake Tahoe in his self-restored Chris Craft boats, his life outside the office was most often spent on the water. He was passionate about his boats and I truly believe he spent every day of his life trying to figure out a way to get back onto the water. He would put on some Jimmy Buffett, invite family and friends and go looking for a "good time."

Many of these good times spilled onto the land including his cabin in Tahoe. He spent many years remodeling and tinkering with the cabin. A small but mighty retreat in Tahoma. Transformed from a old trappers cabin to a miniature chalet, it embodied his ability to turn junk into jewels. He loved Tahoe from the land to the lake and it took little effort to convince him to go on a boat ride to Emerald Bay, Sunnyside or Garwoods.

In 1999 he met the love of his life, Ann Grauss, and they have spent the better part of the last twenty years enmeshed in adventures. From Pismo to Tahoe and everywhere in-between they have made a life together enjoying each other's friendship and love. From racing around on the boats to off roading in their jeep the have made the best of times in their golden years.

He will be fondly remembered for his gregarious nature, boisterous stories and love of a good time. His embellishments to a simple story could weave a tale that would run on for hours to the great enjoyment of many. The world is missing a great story teller. As many know, the older his stories got, the smaller the kernel of truth that originated the story remained.

In lieu of a funeral for Larry, a party will be held in his honor as a celebration of his life at a building he designed in Santa Rosa. Please join us to live, laugh and share in the memory of his life at La Rosa, 500 4th Street, Santa Rosa on Saturday September 10th from 2pm until they turn the lights out. Let's send him off to that great Margaritaville in the sky where he is looking for that lost shaker of salt.