Walter immigated to the U.S. on the S/S Stavangerford in the 1950s and lived with his family in Montana. He served 3 years in the US Army. He settled in Seattle and worked for the Boeing Company. In 2006, Walter suffered a cardiac arrest and was revived after 16 shocks were administered. In 2012 he wrote a book about the experince, “But I Didn’t Know I Was Dead.”