Walter Thomas Greenaway ¹

   Cause of his death was cancer, heart disease.

  General Notes:

On June 25, 2005, after a courageous battle with heart disease and lung cancer, Walt, a quiet, unassuming, gentle man with sharp wit and a soft yet confident voice, went home to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Walt was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, to Estella Turner and Walter Edward Greenaway on February 2, 1932.

He graduated from Portage High School prior to joining the United States Army in 1953. Walt graduated from Colorado State University in 1959, and in 1965 obtained his law degree from the University of Washington School of Law. It was during this time he married Jean Davies and had two sons, Jeffrey and Roberts. His professional life as a lawyer and judge spanned over a quarter-century of service.

As a public practice lawyer, he was a King County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, an administrator for the federally funded Alcohol Safety Action Project in King County, and, in 1975, Walt opened and served as the first Chief Criminal Defense lawyer and administrator for the Clallam and Jefferson Public Defense office. He was admired by bench and bar alike as a trial lawyer's trial lawyer.''

He maintained a private law practice in Seattle and then a solo law practice in downtown Port Angeles. In 1985, with local lawyer Carl Gay, he became a founding partner in the Greenaway & Gay law firm. Walt spent many hours doing volunteer legal work and taught criminal justice courses part time at Peninsula College.

As a state and federal court judge, Walt served as a Clallam County Superior Court and District Court judge pro tem, court commissioner and as the county's juvenile court judge. In 1979, Walt was appointed as the United States Magistrate for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. As a federal judge, he presided over all criminal cases involving such jurisdictions as Olympic National Park, Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, Bangor submarine base and the Bremerton shipyards. He was respected for the wisdom of his decisions and the fairness evident in how he conducted his courtroom.

In the spring of 1992, Walt retired. He was honored (and roasted) with a gala retirement party attended by 200 friends, colleagues and family members who came to join in "Walt Greenaway Night, A Celebration of the Gentleman Lawyer.''

On Valentine's Day 1978, he married Winnie R. Knoepfle Hopf and helped raise her two young children, Kenneth and Denise. For many years, they lived on the beach in their cozy home at "The Place'' west of Port Angeles, and later Walt and Winnie maintained a second home in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, prior to retiring in Sequim, Washington.

Walt was an avid hunter, fisherman and all-around outdoors man, and delighted in his time spent hiking and camping. He attended Sequim Community Church and House Church. In addition to Winnie, Ken, Denise, Jeff and Rob, Walt is survived by grandchildren Jillian, Alicia, Katie, Nicole, Haley and Sergio, his brother, Gary Greenaway, and numerous in laws, nieces and nephews.

Of all the things most precious to him were God's love and mercy, his family and friends. His grandchildren were one of the greatest joys in his rich, full life.

The family requests no floral arrangements but instead that donations be made to Hospice of Clallam County, P.O. Box 2104, Port Angeles, WA 98362.

A celebration of life memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 10, 2005, at the Sequim Community Church, 950 N. Fifth Ave., Sequim, Washington, with a reception following the service.

Social Security had his last residence as Sequim, Clallam County, Washington.

  Additional Information:

• Military Service: US Army.

Walter married Winnie Ruth Knoepfle, daughter of Willie Kenneth Knoepfle Sr and Ruth Lanelle Wall.