Obituary of Walter S. Bleecker

Walter ("Walta") Stansfield Bleecker went to be with his Savior on October 30, 2014 at the age of 89. Born on May 11, 1925 in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, he grew up in Bloomfield, the youngest of the four children of Charles Victor and Elizabeth Bouton Bleecker. He entered the U.S. Navy the day after he graduated from high school and proudly served for three years during WWII on the destroyer escort U.S.S. George W. Ingram. After the war, he attended college, earned a teaching credential and taught Industrial Arts for a short time. He found his true calling, though, when he began to use his gift of gab, charisma and love of people as a way to earn a living and began a successful career as a traveling salesman. He was living in New York City and working for the 3M Company when he met Norma Wisdom, a gal from Kansas City who was also living and working in the big city. They married in December of 1953 and settled in Long Island, where their first daughter (Catherine) was born in early 1955. A year later, they moved to the Boston area (Reading), and twin daughters Susan and Patricia were born in the summer of 1956. (Instant family!) Walt travelled extensively for his job, limiting his time at home with the family, but he filled his vacations with frequent family road-trips to see relatives in New Jersey, Missouri or Florida (making sure to include numerous educational stops at "hysterical markers" on the way), as well as yearly camping trips to Maine where he was able to enjoy his lifelong passion for fishing. In 1960, he purchased lakefront property on Sheepscot Pond in Palermo, Maine, where the family vacationed frequently. In 1964, the Bleecker family became complete with the birth of son, Alan. Around that time, Walter began to work for the Stange (commercial spice/food coloring) Company. In 1968, the company offered a transfer to a great new position in Northern California, and Walt accepted it, moving the family to Walnut Creek, where they lived for ten years. Inspired by his past work at the Dale Carnegie Institute, Walt then spent a short time selling ideas (through a taped personal growth program) rather than products, laying the groundwork for the next phase of his life. In 1970, a great new chapter of Walter's life began when his twin daughters returned home from a church camp reading their Bibles. Curious about their children's newfound faith in God, Walter and Norma began to do some research and accepted an invitation to a church-related function at the Salvation Army camp in Scotts Valley, CA. There, they became born-again Christians. Shortly after, they made the decision to commit their lives to spreading the word about the positive change this made in their lives. Walt combined his talents for sales, public speaking and teaching and formed a lay ministry. Although the ministry's format changed through the years (as did the name), its purpose was consistent: to help people share the faith that they had in Jesus Christ with others. Always hungry to deepen their relationship with Christ, he and Norma often attended camps at the Mt. Hermon Christian Conference Center in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and in 1978, they moved there, knowing that it would be a good location from which to operate their new ministry. Ultimately, "Harvesting Ministries" was formed, and through it, Walt spent most of his adult life teaching pastors how to equip others to spread the Gospel, and he wrote and published a book on the subject in 1990. Walter could talk to any stranger and would easily connect with people with his infectious sense of humor and love for others. And he loved the limelight - whether he was sharing his faith, reciting "Little Ride Hooding Red" complete with an oversized lollipop, leading a sing-along of his beloved Big Band Era songs, or sharing his favorite songs with his grandkids ("The Horse with the Lavender Eye" and "Itty Bitty Poo" were two of his favorites) while playing his three-stringed ukulele. Over the years, he maintained his love for Maine and travelled back and forth between the two coasts, often referring to himself as "bi-coastal." He enjoyed "tinkering" with wood and was able to "Walterize" anything with duct tape and sheet metal screws. One look into his beloved van would show his quirky creativity and love for simple practicality! In 2012, Walter was diagnosed with cancer and moved to Goleta where Alan and his family could help to care for him as he began to undergo treatment. "Good ole' Walta!" remained in the Santa Barbara area, and continued to build and tinker with things until a week before his passing! Walter leaves behind his wife, four children, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren as well as his eldest sister Betty (97). In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Salvation Army, Camp Redwood Glen, 3100 Bean Creek Road, Scotts Valley, CA 95066 in honor of Walter S. Bleecker.