Walter G. Busse Jr.

1925 - 2015

Walter G. Busse Jr. 1925-2015 Curiosity was the compass of Walter Busse's life and it guided him to a life that was rich in variety and joy. Walter spent some of his happiest years with his hands in the dirt. He began gardening in Marin County after moving there in 1956 and completed one of his last gardens at the Marin Art and Garden center as a Master gardener decades later. Walter cultivated his friendships as he cultivated his landscapes, with energy and devotion. His friendships were many and they were deep and abiding. His house was open and overflowed with both friends and family despite its small size. His solution to a growing family and ever revolving open door was to build addition after addition, which spawned a love of architecture and design. Music was essential to Walter. He introduced his children to Janis Joplin, Vivaldi and the Twist and relished his decades of opera at the San Francisco Opera House. Humor was central to his being, and he had a particular love for puns, perhaps his own above all. He could laugh and laugh hard and loved nothing better. Walter Busse was born and raised in San Francisco with his twin brother Robert Busse. He graduated from Lowell High School and the University of California Berkeley where his love for humor led to his job at the humor magazine the Pelican. After graduation he worked at the San Francisco Chronicle where he met his wife Cornelia whom he married in 1952. His job at the Chronicle inspired his career in advertising. He loved the advertising business and had a gift for it. His success was in equal parts due to his curiosity and perseverance. His love for music led to his long advertising relationship with the San Francisco Opera and his interest in landscape and architecture to the advertising and development of the Sea Ranch. All of this made Walter Busse excellent company and a great conversationalist. In keeping with his essential modesty, Walter invariably listened more than he spoke, but his contributions were enduring. Walter will be missed by many, especially his children Sarah, Cornelia, Matthew and Barbara. In lieu of flowers donations should go to the Marin Art and Garden Center Master Gardener Program. A tribute to his life will be held at the Marin Art and Garden Center on March 1, at 1:00 PM. All are welcome.