Walter R. Colyer

Walter R. Colyer, 94, of Berkeley Twp., N.J., passed away Monday, July 10, 2023.
Born on November 21, 1928 in Brooklyn, N.Y., Walter was known as Waddie to many. He grew up in Queens, N.Y. where he discovered a love of everything mechanical and electrical as a small child. At 8 or 9 years old he was playing around trying to invent a rocket and welding things together in the basement; this got to the point where it started getting attention from Consolidated Edison wondering what was going on in that house. Everything was fine (mostly).
While in high school, he met his future wife Betty Hansen. He loved to tell the story of meeting Betty: When he saw her at a dance, he said to his friend, "I'm going to marry that woman." And marry her he did, in 1951. Betty and Walter had three children, Karen, Wayne, and Jennifer, and celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary this past year. When Walter and Betty got married, he was in the Army during the Korean War, rising to the rank of Sergeant.
After his military service, he saw a newspaper ad seeking an engineer. That ad was from Bell Laboratories in Manhattan. Walter knew that he could do whatever they asked, always drawing on his innate understanding of mechanics and years of practice taking all manner of machines apart to understand how they worked. Walter got that job, and worked as an Engineer at Bell Labs for his entire working career from 1952 to 1994, first in Manhattan and then in Holmdel, N.J. His work was far-reaching and central to emerging technology. Walter helped to invent the transistor, he was on the team that invented the fax machine and he even worked on the Hubble telescope; all this in addition to helping craft the vast switching systems that kept the nation's telephone system running. But he wasn't just a scientist; he was a caring and amusing co-worker. Celebrating his retirement, co-workers said that they would miss the joie de vivre that he brought to the office, singing and whistling while he worked in the lab.
Walter was an outdoorsman who loved hiking, camping, and canoeing. He was a longtime Boy Scout, including becoming an Eagle Scout and, as an adult, a Scout Master and earned the Order of the Arrow. He was also proud to be a Son of the American Revolution, and he was a founding member of the United Way's Ocean County Chapter. He loved camping trips with his friends and family at Bear Mountain and Bass River locally, as well as at national parks nationwide. His campfire drop biscuits were legendary.
Walter became serious about ice skating in his fifties and ultimately competed in the senior levels as an Ice Dancer. He won numerous medals and was a member of the Winding River Skating Club. His license plate, "3 Turn", refers to a move he found challenging but mastered (as he did so many things).
Walter was an avid hobbyist for his whole life. When he wasn't at work, he could be found in his workshop where he built Ham radios, model ships and planes, crafted stained glass objects and repaired anything that broke. He was also a lover of music who would conduct orchestral recordings from the original scores with a baton, and was a lovely piano player and organist.
Hobbies and music and home repairs didn't keep him busy enough, and so after moving to Holiday City Carefree in 1999, Walter got involved in his new community. He served on the Carefree Board of Directors for 7 years, including as President.
Walter was predeceased by his son Wayne Colyer, his parents, Walter and Mary (née Brown) Colyer, his twin brother William, his younger brother Austin, and his older sister Joan McKevlin.
Walter is survived by his wife Betty (née Hansen), his daughter Karen Colyer, his daughter Jennifer Colyer and her partner Shemmy Mishaan, his grandchildren Michael McCann, Matthew McCann and Hansen Colyer, and four great grandchildren.
A memorial gathering will take place on Sat., July 15, 2023 from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm with a funeral service at 2:00 pm at the Timothy E. Ryan Home for Funerals, 145 St. Catherine Blvd., Toms River.
In lieu of flowers, mourners may make donations to United Way of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. https://uwmoc.harnessgiving.org/donate/?campaign_id=3069&selected-method=one-time&amount=50
Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.ryanfuneralhome.com.
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