Walter Melvin Running, Jr.
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Walter Melvin Running, Jr., age 87 passed away peacefully on March 19 after a brief illness. He was born September 14, 1933 in Fargo, North Dakota, the only child of his parents Walter and Mildred Running. Growing up in Fargo he was taught to ice skate at an early age by his mother and enjoyed playing hockey at the local outdoor rinks. He also helped out at his father's Standard Oil gas station. He became an exceptional athlete in many sports. He was the MVP quarterback of Fargo High's football team. He was also the starting catcher for Fargo's American Legion baseball team that won the state championship. On that team Roger Maris played right field. His best sport however was hockey and he was a starting defenseman for the University of North Dakota hockey team for three years. While in college he met the love of his life, Donna from Landa, North Dakota who he married in 1956. After graduating from college with a degree in Civil Engineering he took his first job with North American Aviation in Long Beach, CA helping design Cold War Missiles. He and Donna then moved to London, England for two years while on Active Duty with the Air Force. There his first child Susan was born. After returning to the States he worked briefly in Chicago for a private engineering firm before returning to North Dakota, taking a job with the Department of Roads in Bismark. There he led a design team that layed out Interstate 94 across North Dakota. In 1966 he accepted a position with the Federal Highway Administration in Sacramento, CA. Subsequent assignments in that organization took him and his family to Ames, Iowa (where he earned his Masters Degree in Civil Engineering), Washington, DC, Lincoln, NE, and Salt Lake City, Utah where he finally retired in 1997. In retirement Walter enjoyed spending time with his family, gardening, music, traveling, golfing, skiing and going out to coffee with his buddies. After a stroke in 2016 he was brought to Lincoln, NE where his wife and children cared for him at home until his death. Those that knew him remember him as a kind, gentle soul. We were lucky to have him as long as we did. He will be missed. He is survived by his wife Donna, three children Susan, David and John and his dog Bo. The funeral service will be held at 1:00 pm on Thursday, March 25, 2021 at Butherus Maser and Love funeral home, 4040 A St, Lincoln.