Herbert Ludwig Walters

Herbert Ludwig Walters, “Herbie,” was a man who could surprise you.  As a Quaker and a community organizer, his commitment to active nonviolence led him to work, unarmed and with significant success, in some of the most dangerous situations both in and out of this country.  As founder of the Rural Southern Voice for Peace (RSVP) and the Listening Project, he has been positively cited in The Whole Earth Catalog, on the floor of the United Nations, and just about everywhere in between. He was a farmer and a lover of the natural world and shared this passion with young people through The Green River Preserve and other outdoor settings.  At the same time, this sober, intense humanitarian was the most uninhibited person on the dance floor and was as at home on horseback or changing a diaper as when giving a speech or organizing a campaign. He was memorialized by a friend who often visited his home as a child: “Herbie was always the funnest grownup.”

Herbie died at home on August 21, 2021, after a long and courageous struggle with Alzheimer’s Disease. His family sends eternal gratitude to the healing professionals at Mountain Medical Arts and Hospice of the Blue Ridge.

Herbie was born on an army base in Indian Town Gap, PA in 1952.  His father, Herbert V. Walters, was a career army NCO who married Elisabeth Danyi and brought her home to the United States after the liberation of Germany. Herbie, with his commitment to nonviolence and status as a conscientious objector, was proud of his father’s service and sought throughout his career for respect and understanding between those who served through the military and those who served by seeking nonviolent solutions. The elder Walters’ career meant that the family lived in France, Germany, Texas, and Georgia, giving him a lifetime wanderlust and an appreciation of other cultures. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Rita Dils, and his brother-in-law Cary Goode.

Herbie Walters is survived by his wife of nearly fifty years, Marnie Myers Walters; his beloved daughter, Juniper Briggs (Brent) and granddaughters Esmae and Maslyn; his sister, Benita Goode; brothers-in-law Todd Foy and Scott Myers; and several nieces and nephews Ron Towler, Lorraine Elisabeth, Brian, Heather, Cameron, Eli, Alex, and Adam..

Mentors included Ernest Morgan and Thich Naht Hahn. In 1992 Thich Naht Hahn ordained Herbie as a member of the Order of Interbeing (Tiep Hien). Major farm mentors were JC Robinson and Willie Anderson.

With his lion-hearted affection for people, Herbie collected a devoted, extended honorary family that includes Scott Ashcraft, Mimi Nes, and Isaac Ashcraft; Amy and Josh Brown and Henry and Samuel and Ethan; Andres Miranda and Maria Fernanda Mijares;  Bruce Wachter, Paulina Etzold, and Jessica, Amelia, Rachel, and  Ursula, Mattias, Marigold, Franny and Wesley; Catherine Peck, Chip Poston and Hannah and Ellie; David Mariano; David Norton; Donnie Goldstein; Elizabeth and Georgi Kostovi and Tony, Yanka and Kiril;Eric Brown; Green River brothers Fuz, Hawk, and Star; Janey Zietlow; John and Wendy Bourland;  Keenan Phillips; Ko Barrett and Russell, Mac and Ellie; Kristin Tidwell and Caitlin; Robert (Gred) Gross; Sera Deva; Tabby Mpofu and Fikile, Nomalangaelihle, and Zosulwa; Astra Coyle, Tim Evans and Paolo, Van, and Cosmo; and many more friends too numerous to name here.

His wife, Marnie, asks that Herbie be  remembered in this quote from Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis: “I’ve done heaps and heaps of things in my life, but still did not do enough. Men like me ought to live a thousand years.”

A memorial service will be held May 29, 2022 in the early afternoon in Celo Community.  In lieu of flowers donations may be made in Herbie’s honor to Celo Friends Meeting or the Arthur Morgan School.  Yancey Funeral Service is assisting the Walters family.  To send online condolences, please visit our website at www.yanceyfuneralservice.com.