WALT AHLAND
WALT AHLAND
Walter W.”Walt” Ahland was born in Edina, Mo in 1951. He died after a short illness on October 22,2023. He was the first born child of “Butch” and Faye (Powell) Ahland. He graduated from Scotland County High School in 1969 and from Hannibal LaGrange College in 1971.
In 1972 he married Anne(Heck) Ahland in Cambridge, Illinois. He enlisted in the US Air Force and served in the USAF Security Service for two and a half years at San Vito de Normani (Italy) and Elmendorf AFB ( Alaska). In 1976 Walt and Anne returned to Cambridge ,Illinois where they managed Cambridge True Value Store for eight years. In 1979 they welcomed their daughter, Autumn. Their family moved to Macomb, Illinois and attended Western Illinois University, where Walt earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Walt was an instructor in electronics at WIU before they moved to Arizona in 1989.
In Arizona Walt was an instructor at a private university, an entrepreneur, and business owner producing products for nuclear the nuclear power industry.
Walt was a gifted athlete, and basketball was his favorite sport to play. He enjoyed great success in high school, in college and during his time in the Air Force where he was part of a basketball team that won the All – Mediterranean Championship. He continued playing until 2018,proud of his ambidextrous hook shot. He also excelled in track events, softball, tennis and hiking. In recent years he seldom missed his grandchildren’s sports events.
Walt collected friends in all settings and cherished every relationship. He made a point to keep in touch with special people who crossed his path. If someone was going through a hardship, Walt reached out to them and offered encouragement. He sent birthday greeting and congratulations
to people daily. Walt participated in sports in several European locations while in the Air Force. He and Anne returned to Italy multiple times and visited several European countries. He enjoyed traveling to visit customers all over the country and stopped t o see friends whenever he was nearby.
They lived in Mesa Arizona from 1990 -2020 when they moved to Gilbert, Arizona. They were members of 1st United Methodist Church Mesa, then Song of Life UMC in Queen Creek, Arizona. He joyfully served as the Eastern District Chair of Lay Servant Ministries. In 2022 Walt and Anne celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
Walt was proceeded in death by his parents and son-in-law, Tim Barber. He is survived by his wife, Anne and daughter Autumn, both of Gilbert, Arizona: his grandtwins Anson and Ayla Barber; his granddaughter Brittany Barber: his son-in-law Jason Porter and grandsons Bryce, Aden, and Liam Porter, all of Gilbert. He is also survived by his brother and two sisters: Mike ( Vicki) Ahland, Linda Marlow and Patty Ahland, all of Memphis, Mo as well as many dear in-laws, nieces and nephews
A Celebration of Life will be held at 10:00 am on. Saturday November 11 at 1st United Methodist Church, 15 E 1st Ave., Mesa, Arizona 85210. A Celebration of Life will also be held at 1:00pm on Saturday November 18th at Boyer Event Center, 106 S. Market St., Memphis, Mo 63555. The family would ask people attending to bring a picture of a favorite memory they have with Walt. Please include a brief narrative and your name and we will display them at the Celebration service.
In lieu of flowers, Walt would be honored if contributions are directed to Song of Life United Methodist Church,20164 S Sossaman Road, Queen Creek, AZ 85142 to be used for the Building Fund. songoflifeumc.org/ give
