Richard Leroy Walters
Encyclopedia
Richard Leroy Walters was a jet propulsion engineer who died homeless in Phoenix, Arizona
and left a bequest of $4 million to charities including National Public Radio and the Mission of Mercy, in Phoenix.
During the Korean War
he served in the Marines. According to the 1959 Purdue University yearbook, his hometown was Huntington, Indiana
and he was a member of the honorary engineering societies Pi Tau Sigma
, Tau Beta Pi
, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
. He earned a bachelors degree with honors in mechanical engineering from Purdue University
in 1959 and a masters degree in teaching from Ball State University
. He never married, had no children, and was estranged from his two brothers.
After 23 years of working at Allied Signal Aerospace he was forced into early retirement, and began living on the streets. While living on the streets, he was always neat and clean and wore a baseball cap and small backpack, but was very reserved and lacked social skills. He did not own a car. Rita Belle, a volunteer nurse with the mission, befriended Walters for nine years and helped him find temporary housing after she learned that he slept behind a local senior center. Nevertheless, he chose to leave the housing after a short time. He used the telephone in the center's billiards room to make his investments, and he completed his own income tax forms.
During his last years he suffered from severe diabetes and high blood pressure. He had two operations on his legs to improve his circulation, two operations on his eyes, and a quadruple bypass
heart operation. After suffering a stroke
he contacted Belle, but at first resisted hospitalization because he felt he hadn't benefited from previous medical treatments. In the hospital he suffered another stroke and died.
He was an avowed atheist but converted to Catholicism
on his deathbed
, with the aid of Belle. He was buried with full military honors at the Military Cemetery in Phoenix.
Belle was the executor of the estate, as well as a beneficiary. Several charities received about $400,000 each from the estate, including National Public Radio and the Mission of Mercy. NPR announces on air: "Support for NPR comes from the estate of Richard Leroy Walters, whose life was enriched by NPR, and whose bequest seeks to encourage others to discover public radio."
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
and left a bequest of $4 million to charities including National Public Radio and the Mission of Mercy, in Phoenix.
During the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
he served in the Marines. According to the 1959 Purdue University yearbook, his hometown was Huntington, Indiana
Huntington, Indiana
Huntington, known as the "Lime City", is a small city in and the county seat of Huntington County, Indiana, United States. It is in Huntington Township and Union Township...
and he was a member of the honorary engineering societies Pi Tau Sigma
Pi Tau Sigma
Pi Tau Sigma is an International Mechanical Engineering Honor Society. Pi Tau Sigma's core values are:*Integrity ,*Service , and...
, Tau Beta Pi
Tau Beta Pi
The Tau Beta Pi Association is the oldest engineering honor society in the United States and the second oldest collegiate honor society in America. It honors engineering students who have shown a history of academic achievement as well as a commitment to personal and professional integrity...
, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers is a professional body, specifically an engineering society, focused on mechanical engineering....
. He earned a bachelors degree with honors in mechanical engineering from Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
in 1959 and a masters degree in teaching from Ball State University
Ball State University
Ball State University is a state-run research university located in Muncie, Indiana. It is also known as Ball State or simply BSU.Located on the northwest side of the city, Ball State's campus spans and includes 106 buildings...
. He never married, had no children, and was estranged from his two brothers.
After 23 years of working at Allied Signal Aerospace he was forced into early retirement, and began living on the streets. While living on the streets, he was always neat and clean and wore a baseball cap and small backpack, but was very reserved and lacked social skills. He did not own a car. Rita Belle, a volunteer nurse with the mission, befriended Walters for nine years and helped him find temporary housing after she learned that he slept behind a local senior center. Nevertheless, he chose to leave the housing after a short time. He used the telephone in the center's billiards room to make his investments, and he completed his own income tax forms.
During his last years he suffered from severe diabetes and high blood pressure. He had two operations on his legs to improve his circulation, two operations on his eyes, and a quadruple bypass
Coronary artery bypass surgery
Coronary artery bypass surgery, also coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and colloquially heart bypass or bypass surgery is a surgical procedure performed to relieve angina and reduce the risk of death from coronary artery disease...
heart operation. After suffering a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
he contacted Belle, but at first resisted hospitalization because he felt he hadn't benefited from previous medical treatments. In the hospital he suffered another stroke and died.
He was an avowed atheist but converted to Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
on his deathbed
Deathbed conversion
A deathbed conversion is the adoption of a particular religious faith shortly before dying. Making a conversion on one's deathbed may reflect an immediate change of belief, a desire to formalize longer-term beliefs, a desire to complete a process of conversion already underway, or a subconscious...
, with the aid of Belle. He was buried with full military honors at the Military Cemetery in Phoenix.
Belle was the executor of the estate, as well as a beneficiary. Several charities received about $400,000 each from the estate, including National Public Radio and the Mission of Mercy. NPR announces on air: "Support for NPR comes from the estate of Richard Leroy Walters, whose life was enriched by NPR, and whose bequest seeks to encourage others to discover public radio."