WALTER NAY DODGE – Jan. 1, 1931 – Oct. 26, 2022

Walter Dodge, 91, of Waterford, passed away peacefully on Oct. 26, 2022, at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital.  His beloved son Nelson, and Nelson's wife Stacie, were by his side.

Walter was a New Year's baby – born on Jan. 1, 1931 – the son of Ralph Silsby Dodge and Mary (MacEachern) of St. Johnsbury.  He was predeceased by his three siblings:  Ralph Silsby Dodge Jr., David (Duffy) Dodge, and Marna (Corra/Holman).

Walter graduated from St. Johnsbury Academy in 1948.  He was a member of the football team (a 136-pound starting linebacker playing in the guard position).

On April 21, 1951, Walter married his high school sweetheart, Rachel Schoppe.  She died in August 1973. The couple had three children.  Walter is survived by his daughter Sylvia of Lyndon; his daughter Sheila Taylor and her husband Ted of Citrus Springs, FL, grandson Michael Taylor and his wife Kelsey of Port Washington, NY, and granddaughter Rachel Taylor of Brooklyn, New York City; and his son, Walter Nelson Dodge and his wife Stacie of Danville, grandson Jacob Dodge of Lyndon, grandson Garrett Dodge and his wife Rayne of Sutton, granddaughter Isabel Dodge, a student at Colorado State University, Cole Beliveau a student at the University of Vermont, Carlie Beliveau of Danville, and Allie Beliveau of Danville.

In September 1974, Walter married his second wife, Lorraine (Root/Lynaugh).  She predeceased him in 2010.  During the long battle she had with colon cancer, Walter was a hero in the way he took care of Lorraine's physical and emotional needs.

From his earliest years, Walter was gifted as a mechanic.  He much preferred working on a milk route with his brother Ralph than going to high school.  The story went like this - on some school days Walter would be waiting to hear his brother toot the horn of the milk truck outside SJA, and then Walter would promptly leave for the rest of the day.  As a teenager he worked as an automobile mechanic for a shop in St. Johnsbury owned by Lawrence Dodge.

Walter was drafted into the Army Ordnance Corps in 1952, during the Korean War.  He trained as an automotive fuel and electrical technician at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, graduating near the top of his class.  His first military assignment was to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, spending about six weeks at the site where research and development of guided missiles was taking place.  He then rejoined his company in New Jersey for deployment to Korea.  At the last moment, the entire company was sent instead to Europe.  Walter served until 1954 at the United States Army base in Kaiserslautern, Germany.

After his military service, Walter returned to St. Johnsbury and worked for several years as an auto mechanic.  He was among the firsts cohort in the nation to be trained to service both the Volkswagen and the Willys Jeep.  The Willys was built by the United States military and the Allies from 1941-1945.  The civilian model was available in 1945, becoming the world's first mass produced four-wheel drive vehicle.

VW, a German company, was retooled after the war for commercial sales.  VWs were first sold in the United States in 1949 and VW of America was formed in 1955.  In the mid-1950s, Walter worked in St. Johnsbury for Raymond B. Hoar who owned the first Volkswagen dealership and service center in Vermont.  Noted Vermont historian Ralph Nading Hill would bring his Karmann Ghia sportscar all the way from Burlington to St. Johnsbury for Walter to service.  For a time, Walter had his own automotive repair shop in St. Johnsbury Center.  He also worked as a night mechanic during the construction of the Moore Dam on the Connecticut River.

Walter took a job with the United States Postal Service in 1959, working as a letter carrier in St. Johnsbury.  He retired at the earliest age he was eligible – and enjoyed more of his life in retirement than he put in at the job.

During those retirement years, Walter enjoyed part-time jobs.  He did a stint as a delivery driver for Lyndonville Office Equipment, and he spent many years driving vehicles for Gary Sanborn at Maple Center Motors.

Walter had a prodigious memory.  He knew every road in the Northeast Kingdom and far beyond, and every drive with Walter was filled with stories.  Each house, or business, or field he passed could prompt a recollection.  Walter often found historical errors in stories written for local newspapers – and he was not shy about asking for the errors to be corrected!  He would say, "If you don't correct the history, the history will change and it will be wrong."

Walter was a member of American Legion Post 58 in St. Johnsbury and he was a Mason, a member of Passumpsic Lodge 27 of St. Johnsbury.  He also had almost 50 years of sobriety to his credit and helped many local people transition out of addiction.

Walter was a history buff and he enjoyed outdoor activities like hunting, riding snowmobiles, and cutting firewood.  He was very proud of his hunting camp in Wheelock, which he built with his son.

Many thanks go to the people who helped Nelson and Sylvia take care of Walter in his final year – John Simons, Connie Simons, and Margaret Masure.  Thanks also to Betty Perreault and Tim's Deli for their kindness to Walter over many years.

Services for Walter will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 9, at Ricker Funeral Home in Woodsville, NH.  A calling hour will begin at 2 pm with a service to follow.

Donations in Walter's memory can be made to: St. Johnsbury History and Heritage Center, 421 Summer St., St. Johnsbury, VT 05819.