Walter Auth, age 86 of Wayne died rather suddenly on Wednesday, January 4, 2017. He had been in Cape Coral, Florida for the winter months.

Walter was born in Mittlekalbach, Germany in 1930 and was raised in a small farming community in the countryside. He learned the usual farming skills and at twelve years old he began training as a cabinet maker. Of course, this was 1942 Germany and the demand for skilled cabinet makers was not that great, especially in the countryside. Times were tough, especially after the end of the war, and Walter set out to go to America. At first, the plan was to work for a short time, maybe one year, in America and then go back to Germany with his savings. But after arriving in 1954 at the age of twenty-four, he never looked back. He and his wife Elisabeth settled in Passaic, NJ where Walter had an uncle in the hardwood flooring business. Walter learned more of the building trade working with his uncle and soon decided to venture out and start his own construction company. He specialized in cabinetry and trim work and his handiwork is evident throughout countless homes in the area.

As a young boy in Germany, he met Elisabeth Heil who lived in the same town. They went to elementary school together and formed a deep friendship that grew into a very strong and enduring marriage. They celebrated their honeymoon by moving to the United States and set out to build a wonderful life together. Walter worked tirelessly and Elisabeth was the family banker; she squirreled away every dollar that she could. Walter was never one to pass up a coin on the ground either, and he was always amazed at how Americans would just throw money away like that! Because of their resolve, they were able to buy a two family home in Passaic and they began to establish roots for their very own American Dream. Within a few years, Walter purchased a piece of property in Wayne and he set out to build his own home, complete with a cabinet shop in the basement. Years later he purchased a vacant lot in Long Beach Island and built his own summer home there as well. He and his wife pitched a tent in LBI and cleared the lot with chainsaws themselves and once the pilings were installed, they moved the tent under the house and stayed there for a few days at a time while they built the house. They truly enjoyed spending time at the beach and Walter especially loved going out on their boat. They would travel out onto one of the many sandbars in the bay and have lunch, or navigate out of Barnegat Inlet to the ocean and then ride back in shortly after. The boat was a means for Walter to get his family together and enjoy and afternoon on the water. He just loved his boat and spending time at on LBI. In more recent years, Walter and Elisabeth enjoyed winters in Cape Coral, FL where they have a condo.

Walter was truly a family man. He devoted his life to providing for and spending time with his family. When his children were young, he'd take them for car rides every Sunday, occasionally stopping for ice cream on the way home. As his children grew up, Walter found a trusted companion in his dog Skippy. For a time, Walter and Skippy were inseparable and went everywhere together. It wasn’t uncommon for Walter to be seen walking around a job site or a lumber yard with Skippy following close at his feet. As grandchildren came onto the scene, Walter again took on the role of family man along with his wife Elisabeth, who together cared for the grandchildren daily until they were in school.

Walter and Elisabeth had a very special marriage and she was always loving and supportive. Walter often referred to her as his “treasure.” Although the two of them had virtually nothing when they were first married, Walter often told Elisabeth that he had “married a rich woman” because she gave him everything he could have ever asked for. The two of them loved each other very dearly and when Elisabeth passed away in April of 2016, Walter’s heart was broken. He struggled to find joy ever since and his grief was just too much to bear. Sadly, Walter lost his daughter Sylvia Carey in November of 2016, just two months ago. That also weighed heavily on his heart.

Walter is survived by two children; Dorothy Auth and her husband Stephen Edgington of Montclair, and Ron Auth of Cedar Knolls, three grandchildren; Audrey, Henry and Grace Edgington of Montclair, and his sister; Maria Burhard and her husband Bernard in Mittelkalbach, Germany.  He was predeceased by one sister; Laura.