Walter R. Morrow
The funeral and interment of Dr. Walter R. Morrow, an optometrist who spent his teen years in Burton, occurred earlier this month. Dr. Morrow had practiced nearly four decades in Northwest Ohio before he died peacefully Oct. 23, 2024, in his south Toledo home. He was 75.
Walter Raymond Morrow was born Feb. 9, 1949, three years and 51 weeks after the birth of his sister, Donna, in New Kensington, Pa. They were the children of William H. and Helen Wilson Morrow.
Their mother died in 1960, their father married Gladys Moore, and the blended family, that included young Bary Moore, moved to Burton. Walt entered seventh grade, mowing lawns, baling hay and working on a Christmas tree farm as a young teen.
As an older teen, he spent Saturdays doing odd jobs at JARVA, Inc., Solon, where his father oversaw the construction of giant tunnel-boring equipment.
Walt was awarded a college scholarship and offered a job by the Johnson Rubber Co. in Middlefield toward the end of his senior year. He graduated from Burton High School, as it was being renamed Berkshire, in 1967, as senior class president and honor society member who wrestled three years and participated in other activities.
Walt worked for both employers during summers and college breaks, honing his skill as a welder at JARVA, working in the batch testing and molded product development departments at Johnson Rubber.
Walt attended Ohio University as a pre-optometry student majoring in biology. There he met and married the former Jeannie Stevers, of Toledo.
Walt entered the Illinois College of Optometry in September 1972, earned his Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree in May 1976, then passed the Illinois and Arizona optometric licensing exams. He practiced for a year and a half in the Chicago area before moving to Rock Falls, Ill., where he was the only optometrist in town.
Walt passed the Ohio optometric licensing exam in 1983, sold the practice in 1984, and returned to Ohio with three Illinois-born sons. He functioned as an independent contractor for the rest of his career, except for the five years he operated a private practice with one-hour lab service.
Walt had varied interests throughout life but said the most fun he ever had was raising his three boys. He also enjoyed his class reunions, grateful for the time, effort and dedication of classmates who orchestrated such memorable gatherings.
Diagnosed with kidney disease 10 years ago, he suffered a stroke in August 2023 from which he never fully recovered and he retired in November 2023. Though he is gone, his letter jacket with the “B” for Burton still hangs in his closet.
For more details and access to the online guestbook for Walter R. Morrow, O.D., please visit newcomertoledo.com.
