Goetschius, Walter 1935-2013

GOETSCHIUS, DYKSTRA, LITTLE, MURRELL, HALL

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 11/18/2013 at 15:40:12

Walter Goetschius

November 19, 1938 - November 12, 2013

GOETSCHIUS, Walter, passed away peacefully at home in Midlothian surrounded by family on November 12, 2013, seven days short of his 75th birthday, after a brief bout with cancer. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Alberta Frances Goetschius; his brother, Douglas Goetschius (Barbara); sisters, Betty Dykstra and Dorothy Little (Hillis); three children, Brett Goetschius (Devika) of Petaluma, Calif., Lisa Murrell of Midlothian, Va., and Melissa Hall (Michael) of Powhatan, Va.; and five grandchildren, Joshua Murrell, Sita Goetschius, Sonia Goetschius, Ryan Hall and Brandon Hall.

Walt was a board certified mechanical engineer, loving husband, father and grandfather who was devoted to his family. He enjoyed golf, bowling, traveling and spending time with his family. With his son Brett he was active in the Boy Scouts of America. Walt worked his way up from very modest beginnings in his birthplace and childhood home of Ramsey, N.J., putting himself through college while holding down a full time job as a janitor and raising a family.

He began his engineering career at Maytag Corporation in Newton, Iowa, and was instrumental in the design of the company's first home dishwashers. He later worked for Ethyl Corp. in the plastics division for 19 years, after which he started his own business, Basic Converting Equipment, as a designer and fabricator of custom automated machinery and equipment for manufacturers in and around the Richmond area.

The family will receive friends from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, November 17, 2013, at the Huguenot Chapel of Woody Funeral Home, 1020 Huguenot Chapel. A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. Monday, November 18, 2013, at Episcopal Church of Our Savior, 4000 Stigall Drive, Midlothian, Va. Online condolences to WoodyFuneralHome.com. ~ The Des Moines Register Legacy, Des Moines, Iowa.