Walter Fleischer

1947 - 2019

Louis Walter Fleischer

Louis Walter Fleischer III died suddenly on November 11th at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto, California.

He was a third generation San Franciscan, born at Children's Hospital in 1947. He grew up in the Richmond and Sunset Districts attending St. Cecilia's before the family started moving due to his father's management position with Coyne Cylinder Company and Victor Equipment Company. He spent time growing up in Memphis, Tennessee and La Habra in Southern California before the family moved back to the Bay Area and settled in Hillsborough.

After graduating from Serra High School, he attended the University of San Francisco where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree 1969. Upon graduation he received his commission as an Infantry officer in the U.S. Army and served two years of active duty (Ft. Benning and Ft. Ord) and two years active reserve service.

After leaving the Army in 1972 Fleischer entered the world of banking with Bank of America in their officers training program. At the same time, he earned his MBA from Golden Gate University. He spent 20 years (excluding a 5-year stint at Crocker Bank) with the bank starting at the Ocean Avenue branch and ending up in the private banking division for 13 years. Shortly before the bank's merger with the Nation's Bank, he left Bank of America and joined the recently formed Greater Bay Bank in Palo Alto, again in their Private Banking Division, as a senior vice president. He was with Greater Bay for 9 years before leaving for a new opportunity as Managing Director at First Republic Bank, which reunited him with many individuals he had worked with in Bank of America's Private Banking group. He retired from First Republic at the end of 2015.

He married the love of his life Sara "Sally" Hutchison in September of 1980.

An avid traveler, he and his wife Sally made annual trips to Europe and also enjoyed cruises in the Mediterranean. In retirement, besides continuing travel, he played the occasional round of golf and game of tennis and raised honey bees in his backyard. He also worked as a volunteer for the Friends of the Menlo Park Library and was on their board of directors.

Fleischer was a long-time member of the Olympic Club, the Menlo Circus Club and the Bohemian Club, where he enjoyed working as a steward on shows at the City Club and in the Grove.

He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Sally Fleischer, and siblings, Ann, Mark, and Michael Fleischer, Deborah Hall, and Amy Barber; and his half brothers and sisters: Joanne Jalgunas, and Julie, Liz, Patrick, Terry, and Christopher Fleischer and step-mother Verena Fleischer.

A rosary will be recited at the Church of the Nativity on November 19th at 7 pm. A funeral mass will follow on November 20th at 11 am, at the Church of the Nativity, 210 Oak Grove Ave, Menlo Park followed by interment at Alta Mesa Memorial Park.