Walter Henry

Walter Henry, born on October 5, 1936, passed away on January 11th, 2025 at the age of 88. He is survived by Donna (nee Pochert), to whom he was married from 1963 to 2013; his children Sheree Trostorff Shaw, Eric Henry (Leslie), Scot Henry (Laura), Cari Coonen (Erik), Christopher Henry, PJ Henry (Ryan Schaben), and Shannon Stielow (Scott); 15 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Walter H. Henry and Bertha Idol. Soon after his birth in Milwaukee during the Great Depression, he was placed in an orphanage. Upon returning to his father's care, he worked in his family's shoe repair shop on the Near North Side. During the Korean War, Walter left school to enlist in the Marine Corps. He was stationed in Japan and worked in communications. He participated in practice beach landings, one of which put him on the island of Iwo Jima. As a combat Marine, Walter was assigned a Browning Automatic Rifle due to his excellent shooting skills. After his discharge, he returned to Milwaukee, reconnected with friends, and joined the YPC (Young Peoples Club) at his parish. During this period, he met Donna Pochert whom he married in 1963. Walter took advantage of the GI Bill to enroll in data processing and computer programming courses that led to his first programming job in 1961. Over the course of his career, he worked at the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, Marquette University, and K-Promotions. In 1980, he opened his own consulting company, Digital Information Systems Consultants (DISC). As the owner and operator of DISC, Walter served many businesses in Milwaukee until he retired at the age of 70. Walter was deeply committed to his Catholic faith and was ordained a Permanent Deacon in 1978. He served the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) Parish for several decades. A spiritual seeker, he later incorporated the Hindu faith into his belief system after traveling to India. He was also an active member of the Congregation of the Great Spirit. In his later years, he served as chapter president of Post 18 of the American Legion, and provided chaplaincy services at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center hospice wards. Walter will be remembered for his dedication to family, faith, and service, and his personal motto of "Do Everything with Love." He will be greatly missed. In lieu of flowers, a memorial donation to Street Angels (www.streetangelsmke.org) or Congregation of the Great Spirit (www.greatspirit.net) would be appreciated.