Gearhart, Walter Kenneth (May 27, 1938–May 24, 2024)

Walter Gearhart, who was from the town of Grinnell and who had two years of active service in the U.S. Army Reserve, joined our class with most of us in the Fall of 1957 and received his Grinnell B.A. in political science in June 1961.

Walt then obtained a full fellowship at Pennsylvania State University, which granted him a Master of Public Administration degree in 1964.

With these academic degrees, Walt had a successful career for more than 40 years of local government management and budget administration. He was the first City Manager of Johnstown, PA for four years and the City Manager of Dubuque, IA for almost 13 years. He also served as Chief Administrative Officer of Davenport, IA; Finance Director of Sioux City, IA; Assistant Budget Director of Montgomery County, MD; and Budget Analyst for the City of Cincinnati, OH. In 1988 he was honored to receive the International City Manager Association Award for

Program Excellence, and in October 2006 he ended this marvelous career when he retired as the Executive Director of the East St. Lous Advisory Authority.

In 1966 he married Joyce E. Gotshall, and they had two sons, Frederick Kenneth (“Rick”) and William (“Bill”), all of whom survived Walter along with the sons’ spouses and their eight children and two of the latter’s spouses along with three great-grandchildren.

Walter died in San Antonio, Texas on May 24, 2024, and his wife Joyce unexpectedly joined him in death in San Antonio on September 15, 2024.

(Duane W, Krohnke, author)