Walter “Wally” A. Schlagel, a lifetime resident of Warwick, NY, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family at Good Samaritan Hospital on July 15, 2024. He was 73 years old.
Born on July 14, 1951, at West Point, NY, the son of the late Walter P. and Gloria (nee Ball) Schlagel, he was predeceased in 2023 by his wife of 45 years Mary (nee Williams) Schlagel.
Wally served his country in the U.S. Air Force in the K-9 Corp. from 1972 to 1974 and his community as a long-time-member and trustee of the Warwick Fire Department, Engine Company #3. Wally worked first for Stanley Chrysler Plymouth and later for Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Warwick as a service manager for many years.
A family statement reads, “Wally was an incredible man who was known to many as Uncle Wally. He was always willing to lend a helping hand and was a great cook and even better chauffeur. He will be greatly missed and has left a lasting impression on the lives of so many.”
Walter is survived by his beloved nieces, whom he thought of and treated as daughters, Amy Van Etten and Amanda Pink and her husband Ryan, all of Warwick; his sister-in-law Elizabeth “Liz” Van Etten and her husband Ken of Warwick; brother John Schlagel of Cummings, Ga.; sister Sue Ann Schick of Fort Edward, NY; and sister Mary Lou Johnston and her husband Bob of Hagerstown, Md. Also surviving are “grandchildren” Keira, Cailin and William Pink, along with several nieces and nephews.
Visitation and firematic services: Friday, July 19, 2024, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Lazear-Smith & Vander Plaat Memorial Home, 17 Oakland Avenue, Warwick, NY.
Memorial service: Saturday, July 20, 2024 at 10 a.m. at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Wally’s memory to Operation Smile, 3641 Faculty Boulevard, Virginia Beach, VA 23453, or Wounded Worries Project, 370 7th Ave suite 1802, New York, NY 10001 or woundedwarriorproject.org. The family also wishes to express their deepest thanks to the wonderful nursing staff on the third floor of Good Samaritan Hospital along with Fr. Hippolytus who provided comfort and support to the family during this difficult time.
Arrangements were made by Lazear-Smith & Vander Plaat Memorial Home, 17 Oakland Avenue, Warwick, NY. To send an online condolence, visit lsvpmemorialhome.com.