Walter Ray Schrengohst

Walter Ray Schrengohst passed away unexpectedly in his Bellingham, Washington home in January 2021.

Born in Astoria, Oregon on September 28, 1951, Walt was the youngest of Ben and Ruth Schrengohst's three children. As the son of a U.S. Navy chief warrant officer, Walt moved frequently during his early childhood before settling in western Washington where he lived the rest of his life. After earning a National Merit Scholarship to the University of Washington at the age of 17, he decided to pursue other interests.

Both Walt and his high school friend and future brother-in-law, John Wiltshire, were sick of school after two quarters of college and decided to participate more whole-heartedly in the anti-war, civil rights movement that was raging at the time. They ended up in Berkeley, California at the height of the free speech movement. Getting around on John’s 650 Triumph Trophy motorcycle, they had some wild times. Walt made life-long friends during that unruly period. He joined a crew of hippie commercial fishermen known as the “fabulous, furry, freak fleet.” The summer days he spent fishing off the coasts of Washington and Oregon, cooking salmon over open fires on the beaches, and partying into the night were some peak experiences of his youth.

In addition to commercial fishing, Walt worked as a longshoreman, boat builder, and shipwright; and he restored his own commercial fishing vessel named the Angela. He was a fine wood worker and held a variety of other carpentry jobs. A spiral staircase he helped build was once featured on the television show “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.” Later, he would enjoy building wooden furniture and toys for his kids and granddaughters. He was also a skilled mechanic and handyman with a do-it-yourself attitude.

Walt married Bev Wiltshire in 1972, and they had two children, Guthrie and Jenna Schrengohst. Raising a family while the ship building industry struggled, Walt decided to return to college at the age of 33. After graduating from The Evergreen State College, he moved the family to Whatcom County and earned a Masters Degree in Mathematics from Western Washington University. From there, he had a career as a math instructor at various colleges and institutions, finally retiring from Whatcom Community College after over 20 years of teaching.

Walt was an avid hunter and outdoorsman, and his children's happiest memories of him are of the many camping trips and the other natural outings he took them on. He was also a fervent reader, especially of science fiction. He took an early interest in home computers, building computers and collecting many different parts and models. As he grew older, he strived for a simple life. He rid himself of most of his possessions and called it "achieving Serengeti" as he thought back to early human ancestors looking over the vast open plains of Africa. He did hold on to one elaborate custom-built computer system and loved playing video games through his retirement.

Walt was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Jan Schrengohst, and is survived by his brother Wayne Schrengohst; his ex-wife; both children; son-in-law David Schrengohst; two granddaughters Betty and Coramina Schrengohst; near life-long friends Tom Newman, Richard Utter, and John Wiltshire; good friend and former student Sam Skotheim, who was always there for him in his later years; and numerous nieces, nephews, and other friends.

Walt will be remembered best for his intelligence, vast knowledge, clever wit, storytelling, and even his groan-worthy dad humor. He enjoyed telling jokes, sharing his wisdom, and giving advice, whether it was solicited or not. He was also known for napping whenever he got a chance, which his family liked to tease him about, and after settling into a sedentary lifestyle in retirement, he once joked that his tombstone should read "He Got a Lot of Rest". May he rest forevermore and forever in our memories.