In Memory Of
Walter W. Koste
1928
2022
Walter W. Koste
May 11, 1928 — April 30, 2022
Walter Koste, 93, husband of Lisa Koste, passed away peacefully in his home on Saturday, April 30, 2022 in Niskayuna, NY.
Born May 11, 1928 in Narzym, Poland, he was the son of the late Wilhelm and Emma Koste.
Walter was raised in a German household and enjoyed life on a farm until at the age of 16 when he was drafted into the German army with other boys his age near the end of World War II. His Captain protected them as they barely escaped the advancing Russian army to be captured by the Allies. After a brief time in a French prison camp he was released and reunited with his parents, brother Horst, and sister Gerda. While working as a policeman in post-war Germany, he married Lisa Pare and they had a son, Wolf Rudiger, in 1952. They immigrated to America shortly after.
In 1964 Walter earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from New York University after seven years of evening classes on top of full-time work. During this time, he joined IBM as a technician and worked his way up in the company through his retirement at age 59. At IBM among his many accomplishments he played a key role in developing the first fiber optic links to be used in mainframe computers. He loved skiing, golfing, traveling, boating and camping on the islands of Lake George. In 1966 after moving to Wappingers Falls, NY, Walter and Lisa had another son, Glen. Walter was very proud to have saved and paid for his sons' college educations. After retirement, Walter and Lisa settled into a routine of traveling between their houses in Lakewood, NJ and Marco Island, FL. In his memoirs, written at the age of 78, Walter wrote "I had a long, mostly good life and what remains is a bonus." In 2020, Walter and Lisa sold their homes and moved into independent living in Niskayuna.
Walter is survived by his wife and his sons; Glen and his wife Tracy of Niskayuna, NY, and Wolf and his wife Jill of Oro Valley, Arizona. He is also survived by his 5 grandchildren; Lauren of Melbourne, Australia, Bryan of Missoula, MT, Sara of Minneapolis, MN, Alex of Studio City, CA, and Kevin of Los Angeles, CA.
At Walter's request, services will be private.
Donations in his name may be made to: Parkinson and Movement Disorder Alliance - https://www.pmdalliance.org/ways-to-donate/
Born May 11, 1928 in Narzym, Poland, he was the son of the late Wilhelm and Emma Koste.
Walter was raised in a German household and enjoyed life on a farm until at the age of 16 when he was drafted into the German army with other boys his age near the end of World War II. His Captain protected them as they barely escaped the advancing Russian army to be captured by the Allies. After a brief time in a French prison camp he was released and reunited with his parents, brother Horst, and sister Gerda. While working as a policeman in post-war Germany, he married Lisa Pare and they had a son, Wolf Rudiger, in 1952. They immigrated to America shortly after.
In 1964 Walter earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from New York University after seven years of evening classes on top of full-time work. During this time, he joined IBM as a technician and worked his way up in the company through his retirement at age 59. At IBM among his many accomplishments he played a key role in developing the first fiber optic links to be used in mainframe computers. He loved skiing, golfing, traveling, boating and camping on the islands of Lake George. In 1966 after moving to Wappingers Falls, NY, Walter and Lisa had another son, Glen. Walter was very proud to have saved and paid for his sons' college educations. After retirement, Walter and Lisa settled into a routine of traveling between their houses in Lakewood, NJ and Marco Island, FL. In his memoirs, written at the age of 78, Walter wrote "I had a long, mostly good life and what remains is a bonus." In 2020, Walter and Lisa sold their homes and moved into independent living in Niskayuna.
Walter is survived by his wife and his sons; Glen and his wife Tracy of Niskayuna, NY, and Wolf and his wife Jill of Oro Valley, Arizona. He is also survived by his 5 grandchildren; Lauren of Melbourne, Australia, Bryan of Missoula, MT, Sara of Minneapolis, MN, Alex of Studio City, CA, and Kevin of Los Angeles, CA.
At Walter's request, services will be private.
Donations in his name may be made to: Parkinson and Movement Disorder Alliance - https://www.pmdalliance.org/ways-to-donate/
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Walter W. Koste, please visit our flower store.
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