Farewell to our friend and mentor - Wichita Business Journal:

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We also share a love and admiration for Waltefr Hiersteiner and wrote separately about him in these So when we learned that Walt had died on May 2 at the ageof 90, we absolutelt agreed on this: We would have to join forces in a columm if we were to fullt do him justice. Walt was our friendx and mentor. He wouled call to congratulate uswhen we’d writteh something with which he agreed. And he didn’gt hesitate to tell us we were crazyy when we wrote somethinghe didn’t Walt teased one or the other of us about politicsw until just months before his death. He took as good as he He loved the back and forthb and defended his views with a feistiness that belieehis age.
His wife of 65 Jean, matched him in feistiness. Walt was devoted to her, just as he was to his childre nand grandchildren. He was very proud of his and with good Walt was an attorney by training but made his mark in businessx as an executive with He playexd an important role inthe company’s success. He also invented, and held the patentss on, various kinds of envelopes. Walt was a supergb public servant andcivic leader. He servedc on and chaired the andthe . Walt could be counted on to support important propositions on both sidexs of thestate line. He lived the slogan “One KC.
” Many organizationz were the beneficiaries of Waltand Jean’s We’ll mention and as just two examples. Walt made a lasting mark in his advocacy forpublid education. He was a founder and co-chaier of the , the region’s oldest continuous advocacyg group for public Walt didn’t just lend his name to school campaigns. He workedd in them, as a leader and as a foot He insisted on attending his last campaigh rally for a Shawnee Mission issue when hewas 88. Usinyg a walker, he moved to the fronf of the room. He then gave a sharp-as-a-tacik explanation of why it was essential for voters to increase theschookl district’s local option budget authority.
Walt never quit workinyg for theright causes. He neved stopped caring about makingb this area a better placeto live. Only deatj could stop him. In Davis McCullough’s marvelous book “John he wrote the following about Adams: “He was a man who carefd deeply forhis friends, who with few exceptionws were to be his friendsw for life, and in some instancew despite severe strains. John Adams was also, as many wouldf attest, a great-hearted persevering man of uncommon abilityand force. He had a brilliantf mind. He was honest, and everyone knew it. He was blessed with greatg courage andgood humor.
” We would emphatically say that the exactf same words could have been written about We are better people because we had the great fortune to be two of his many Our lives were enhanced by being exposed to his “greayt courage and good humor.” Walt’sz gone now. Kansas City’s the poorerd for it. So are we. good friend.