In Memoriam: Vern Walter

Vern Walter, a leading pest control industry educator and consultant, died on Jan. 25, at age 86.

A 1950 graduate of Purdue University, Walter soon thereafter joined Dr. Lee Truman in Indianapolis, and during the next 12 years he worked for and learned from Truman, one of the leading pest control industry minds in North America.

Walter then bought a Terminix franchise in Harlington, Texas, which he ran for 10 years before an opening as technical director for Terminix International became available. After five years in that position, Walter left Terminix to work for the Industrial Fumigant Company (in the U.S., as well as in Africa and Australia) before owning and managing Abash Pest Control, which he later sold to Terminix in the 1990s.

Walter was well respected for his expertise in the food protection segment of the industry, serving as a consultant for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (UNFAO). He was a two-time author of chapters in the Mallis Handbook of Pest Control and former columnist for Pest Control magazine.

Purdue University’s Gary Bennett said Walter was one of the first people to welcome him to the university and throughout the years was an important sounding board for him and Purdue's entomology program. “He was a valued and outstanding partner in many of our educational programs and a positive influence on me personally,” Bennett said. “He had a ‘can do’ attitude that assured me that I was working with an industry of real importance — and he was right. He promised to always be available to me and this institution to do anything we needed his help with, and his presence on our Annual Conference Program was a testament to this promise.”

John Craft, another industry icon, followed a similar career path as Walter, working first for Truman and later for Terminix. “Vern had a lot of technical knowledge and he was able to apply it in a very practical and efficient manner to get the job done,” Craft said. “He was a consummate reader who would always pick up the latest pest control book, so a lot of the pest control knowledge he picked up was self-taught.”

Stoy Hedges, manager of technical services, Terminix International, met Walter about 20 years ago at Terminix, and kept in touch with him throughout the years. “Vern had a dry sense of humor similar to my own, and we both enjoyed each other's Christmas letters detailing that year's life events,” Hedges recalled. “Vern loved beer and was, in fact, a brewmaster, which he put to good use consulting on pest issues in breweries around the world. I last visited Vern in November, 2012, and though his health was declining, his spirits were high, and he was still engaged in a number of projects. He was a true icon in the food protection part of our industry, and I will miss him.”

Purdue graduate and longtime industry colleague David Mueller, president of Insects Limited, also remembers Walter for his quick wit, half smile and extensive knowledge. “His many continued education presentations on fumigation were attended by many pest managers,” Mueller said. “His early work at Purdue and then with Dr. Lee Truman in Indianapolis was the proving ground for many of his pest control beliefs from the practical world. His participation in the Lauhoff Food Safety Seminars for many years helped establish his expertise with changing EPA and food safety regulations.”

Walter is survived by wife Margerie wife of 40 years, three sons, four stepdaughters, seven grandchildren and five great grandchildern. Per his wishes, no memorial was held.