FROM THE AKRON BEACON JOURNAL
Monday, April 23, 2018.
By Theresa Cottom

From a young age, it was clear what Leo Walter wanted to do with the rest of his life.

It started with postcards, but it quickly turned into boxes, mirrors, furniture, silverware, dishes, pottery, buttons -----anything Walter found interesting or could save from going into a landfill, he built into a massive collection that will carry his story beyond his lifetime.

Walter, founder of Stagecoach Antiques on West Market Street, died Friday from heart complications. He was 86. "He probably would fall into the term 'workaholic'," said his wife of 61 years, Mary Kay Walter. "The antique business was his life." Walter, one the youngest of ten children, grew up on the west side of Akron as a hard worker at a young age, helping his family sell Christmas trees as a child. Around the age of nine, Walter's infinity for collecting began when his grandmother moved in and brought him furniture to refinish and postcards to admire. He began selling the items he collected out of his mother's dining room until she lost patience with the mess and moved him to the basement.

Walter left his business only to serve in the Korean War, where he earned a Purple Heart. When he returned to Akron, he moved out of the basement and onto West Market Street to officially open Stagecoach Antiques. The business withstood the tests of time, bouncing to four different locations up and down the street as roadwork shut other businesses down. It celebrated it's 75th anniversary this month. Walter's family said he pioneered estate sales in Akron, conducting sales for the likes of John S. Knight and other prominent figures. "As he used to say, he used to buy junk and sold antiques," said Ted Walter, Leo's son. "It was fun. He enjoyed the hunt."

At times, a spotlight cast a glow on Stagecoach Antiques, which supplied items to films like The Shawshank Redemption and served as a backdrop for music videos, like the Black Keys' Your Touch. Walter's daughter, Eileen Moats, worked alongside him nearly twenty years and took over when his health began to decline. Moats said Stagecoach Antiques will be closed until Friday.
Walter's burial will be at 10:00 am Wednesday at St. Vincent dePaul Church. Calling hours will be at his alma mater, St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, from 4:30 to 8:00 pm Tuesday. "He was someone who was a great dad," Ted Walter said. He certainly showed all the kids the importance of hard work and the importance of faith."
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OBITUARY BY THE AKRON BEACON JOURNAL
April 23, 2018

Leo Gustave Walter, Jr, 86, passed away Friday, April 20 in Akron at hospice surrounded by his loving family. He founded Stagecoach Antiques on West Market Street in Akron 75-years ago this month. He earned a purple heart for his service to the country during the Korean War.

Leo is survived by his wife of nearly 61 years, Mary Kay, and their five children; 16 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. His children and their spouses are: Leo III (Mary Ann), Ted (Barb), Eileen Moats, (Eric), Sean (Theresa) all of Akron, and son Frank (Michael) of Washington, D.C.; he is also survived by sister, Anne Morgan, of Akron, and brother and sister-in-law, Fritz and Ruthann Eder, of Houston.

Mass of Christian burial will be held at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Akron on Wednesday, April 25 at 10 a.m. Calling hours will be held at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School at 15 N. Maple Street in Akron on Tuesday, April 24 from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Private family interment in Holy Cross Cemetery.

Condolence donations may be made to the St. Vincent-St. Mary High School Foundation, Leo & Margaret Walter Scholarship Fund, 15 N. Maple St., Akron, Ohio, 44303 or St. Vincent de Paul Church at 164 West Market St, Akron, Ohio, 44303.
Published in Akron Beacon Journal from Apr. 22 to Apr. 24, 2018
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Personal Note: I have dealt with Mr. Walter since the 1960s. I have bought many items over the decades. He was always a pleasure to deal with. Stagecoach Antiques is well known in the Akron area. It holds thousands of antiques and collectibles. Mr. Walter was always smiling and welcoming in his shop. I will miss seeing him there.
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FROM THE AKRON CITY DIRECTORIES:

1950
Leo G. Walter Jr., student, home - 24 Marshall Ave.

1955
Leo G. Jr., (Stagecoach Antiques) home - 24 Marshall Ave.

ALSO FROM THE 1955 DIRECTORY:
Stagecoach Antiques (Leo G. Walter Jr.), 538 W Market St.

1960
Leo G. Walter Jr., (Mary K.), Vice pres. and sec. - Carlton Supply Inc., home - 37 Marshall Ave.

ALSO FROM THE 1960 DIRECTORY:
CARLTON SUPPLY Inc., (Inc 1941) Leo G. Walter, pres and treas,, Leo G. Walter Jr., vice pres and sec, - burlders supplies, hardware, garage doors, nursery supplies, seeds, fertilizer, Youngstown and Republic steel kitchens or wood kitchens, Norge appliances, Zenith radios, 1910 E. Market St., Phone ST 4-2131.

ALSO FROM THE 1960 DIRECTORY:
Stage Coach Antiques, Beatrice E Hutchinson, mgr. antiques, 443 W Market St.

1965
Leo G. Walter Jr., (Mary K.), (Stagecoach Antiques), pres. - Carlton Supply Inc., home - 37 Marshall Ave.

ALSO FROM THE 1965 DIRECTORY:
Stagecoach Antiques, (L.G. Walter Jr.), 443 W. Market St.

1969
Leo G. Walter Jr., (Mary K.), (Stagecoach Antiques), home - 37 Marshall Ave.

ALSO FROM THE 1969 DIRECTORY:
Stagecoach Antiques, (L. G. Walter Jr.), 439 W Market St.
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