Walter Heinrich Reiss, Jr., a loving father and devoted husband, passed away on August 30,

2025 at his home in Colorado Springs, Colorado at the age of eighty-eight.

Walter was born on January 9, 1937 in Kansas City, Missouri to Walter Heinrich Reiss, Sr. and

Velma McIntyre Reiss. He had one brother, Randall Dean Reiss, who was nine years younger.

Growing up, Water was an accomplished athlete and outdoorsman. He would tell stories of his

camping and fishing trips in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota with his high school friends. He

loved playing golf with his father and friends, and he lettered in football, basketball, and golf. He

graduated from Kansas City Central High School in 1955. Walter played football for the

University of Missouri, but suffered an injury in 1956 and pursued work instead.

On December 23, 1961 Walter married the love of his life, Carol Sue Oberzan, in Raytown,

Missouri. They soon moved to Cincinnati, Ohio to allow Walter to finish his college degree in

engineering from the University of Cincinnati. A job opportunity as a project engineer at the

DuPont nylon manufacturing plant took Walter and Carol to Seaford, Delaware in the mid 1960swhere they spent the next thirty years. They raised their two children, Walter H. Reiss, III and

Heidi Reiss, in Delaware. Walter and Carol enjoyed dancing, skiing, camping and hiking,

traveling, golf, and provided amazing experiences and adventures for their children. The

lifelong friendships Walter and Carol built in Delaware and the Eastern Shore gave them joy

throughout their lives – raising families, enjoying golf, and traveling in retirement.

Walter was an involved and supportive father to Walt and Heidi. He never missed a game or

school event, and he encouraged them both to pursue their goals in life. Walter spent several

years as a Boy Scout Scoutmaster for Walt’s Troop 182 in Seaford. Walter was also a loving

and caring husband, especially in the later years of Carol’s life throughout her health challenges.

They shared almost 58 years together in marriage, until Carol’s passing in 2019. In recent

years, Walter enjoyed attending Air Force Academy sporting events with Walt and visits with his

children and grandchildren, including the celebration of his granddaughter, Michelle’s, wedding

in July 2025.

Walter is preceded in death by his parents, Walter and Velma Reiss, his brother, Randy Reiss,

and his wife, Carol Reiss. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Walter and Kathleen

Reiss; his daughter and son-in-law, Heidi and Tyler Schleicher; and grandchildren, Michelle

(Reiss) and Matthew Kolb, Theo McGrath, and Sophia and James Schleicher. The family will

have a private celebration of life in December, and is requesting that donations be made to

Scouting America (https://donations.scouting.org/#/national) in lieu of flowers.