Dr. Roy Paul Walchenbach

PITTSFIELD Dr. Roy Paul Walchenbach, 87, of 23 Shetland Drive, died Wednesday, November 13, at his home surrounded by family. He was born in Paterson, New Jersey, on April 28, 1926, a son of Paul Walchenbach and Ann Van Olst Walchenbach. A Pittsfield High School graduate, he was a cadet at the Merchant Marine Academy in New York State before attending Hope College in Holland Michigan and then Syracuse Medical School in Syracuse, New York. In 1953, he completed George Washington University Hospital training in surgery and subsequently earned his Fellowship in the American College of Surgeons. A Korean War veteran, he served our country as a ship's surgeon in the Mediterranean Sea aboard the USS Randolph. Dr. Walchenbach was a surgeon in Berkshire County for 36 years. During that time he served as both the Chief of Surgery and Chief of Staff at Hillcrest Hospital. He also practiced at Berkshire Medical Center and Plunkett Hospital in Adams, Mass. Roy was a member of the Country Club of Pittsfield where he spent endless hours devoted to improving his golf game and enjoying the beauty of The Berkshires. An avid outdoorsman, Roy loved hiking the Long Trail, a trek he completed from Berkshire County to the Canadian border with his best buddies. Winters were typically busy skiing the slopes and trails of the Northeast and later as a snow-bird enjoying the sun and the waves in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Being on water was a lifelong passion of Roy's. During his retirement, he and his wife, Dot, enjoyed sailing their sloop, The Compass Rose, along the New England coast with his friends from The Berkshire Power Squadron. He was also lucky to have sailed around the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean and the San Juan Islands in the Pacific Northwest with his family. Roy had been active with the Rotary Club of Pittsfield and was a member of South Congregational Church in Pittsfield. He leaves his wife of 60 years, Dorothy Milne Walchenbach, and their four children, Paul Jay Walchenbach and his wife Trisha, of Seattle, Wash., Peter Roy Walchenbach and his wife Melinda, of Sequim, Wash., Tod Roy Walchenbach of Pittsfield, Amy Ann Walchenbach Emery and her husband Rob, of Hamilton, Va.; and nine grandchildren, Shauna, Peter, Trevor, Thomas, Andrew, Flora and Oscar Walchenbach and Elizabeth and Natalie Emery, all of whom he cherished. He also leaves his younger brother, Dr. Jack R. Walchenbach and his wife Patricia of Lake Stevens, Wash. and numerous nieces and nephews across the country. Roy was pre-deceased by his brother, Donald E. Walchenbach of Grand Rapids, Mich. FUNERAL NOTICE: A memorial service for Roy P. Walchenbach will be held Saturday, November 16, at 11 in the morning at The South Congregational Church in Pittsfield. A private family burial will be at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in Dr. Walchenbach's memory may be made to the food bank at South Congregational Church in Pittsfield, or HospiceCare in The Berkshires. WELLINGTON FUNERAL HOME, 220 EAST STREET PITTSFIELD MA 01201 is in charge of arrangements.

Dr. Roy Paul Walchenbach

April 28, 1926 - November 13, 2013