Walter Ingram

Walter “Wally” Ingram, age 96, passed away on December 30, 2022, at Tennyson Senior Living Community in Madison. He was born on January 5, 1926, in Kitts, Harlan County, Kentucky, the son of William and Carrie Arzilla Ingram. Wally’s family were migrant farm workers, and he spent much of his youth following the harvest seasons from cotton in the deep south to cherries in Michigan. He enlisted in the Army on his 18th birthday and served with the 69th Infantry Division during the concluding weeks of the World War II. Still a teenager when the war ended, he worked as a restaurant manager in Vienna, Austria, before returning stateside.

Back in the states, he enrolled in the Industrial Training Institute in Chicago to learn diesel engine mechanics. He also met, courted, and married the love of his life, Alene Prestegard. Wally and Alene were married for 60 years, until her death in 2011, and raised three children. Wally worked for 13 years at Arcole Midwest Corporation, keeping the trucks in top shape as they poured concrete for the runways at O’Hare International Airport and other major construction projects. Seeking new opportunities, the family moved to Madison in 1964 where Wally worked as a master mechanic for Sears’ appliance repair division, retiring in 1985.

After paying their dues “enjoying” Wisconsin’s sub-freezing winters, Wally and Alene spent the next 20 winters in Florida, where they played many rounds of golf and made many new friends. There were also trips to Alaska, Hawaii, Germany, Norway, and England. In Madison, Wally volunteered in shop classes at Waunakee High School, passing along his mastery of all things mechanical to future generations. Both he and Alene were also active members of the churches they attended where Wally put his equally exceptional skill in making friends to good use. His children still remember how challenging it was to get their dad to leave church after the service ended.

Wally is survived by his three children, Barbara (Bill Tyroler), Michael (Barbara) and Laura (Bob Hanle); five grandchildren, Isaac Tyroler, Meg and Kate Ingram, and David and Suzanne Hanle; and four great grandchildren, Evelyn and Myka Tyroler, and Madison and Mackenzie Booren. He was preceded in death by his wife Alene, his parents, and his sister and brothers. Of all his accomplishments, nothing made him prouder than seeing his humble beginnings result in his three children and five grandchildren graduating from college and pursuing successful careers. They are his legacy.

We will celebrate Wally’s life with a funeral service at 11 a.m. Thursday, January 5, 2023, at the RYAN FUNERAL HOME, 2418 N. Sherman Ave. Friends may call from 10 a.m. until the time of the service on Thursday at the funeral home. Burial will be for family only. In lieu of flowers, memorials to Agrace Foundation, 5395 E. Cheryl Parkway, Madison, WI 53711 would be a fitting memorial to the excellent care provided to Wally in his final days.

To view and sign this guestbook, please visit: www.ryanfuneralservice.com.

Ryan Funeral Home & Cremation Services 2418 N Sherman Ave 608-249-8257