Obituary of Walter Perreira

Walter Perreira was born October 8, 1932, in Pahoa, Hawaii. He was the fourth eldest child of Manuel and Emelia Perreira. When Walter was 14 years old, he moved to Hollister with his parents and 7 siblings; Ernest, Elias, Edward, Adeline, Gilbert, Caroline, and Lorraine.. Walter graduated from San Benito High School in 1951, where he had started dating Betty Jane Deri. On July 24, 1952, Walter and Betty eloped to Reno, Nevada, and were married. Only a few months later, Walter was deployed as a supply clerk in the Korean War for the US Army from January 1953 to December 1954. In July 1960, Walter and Betty welcomed their first child, a daughter named Gina. August 1962 brought Walter and Betty a second daughter named Karen. The following year, Walter stepped in at his father-in-law’s request to walk Carol, his sister-in-law, down the aisle. This is one of many examples of how important family was to Walter. In order to see his family more often, Walter, Betty and the girls spent many summers taking road trips together across the western United States. Walter worked as a mechanic for over 40 years for Guerra’s Nut Shelling. Many Hollister natives may remember seeing Walter’s 1950s blue Willys Jeep truck parked against the chain link fence behind a rose bush on Hillcrest. Walter retired at age 65, in 1997. Retirement left time for Walter to pursue his passion for woodworking and building miscellaneous things for friends, family, and the church. For years, you could not see Walter without having him pull out photos of his handcrafted creations from his shirt pocket to share. Whether it was a County Fair prize winning replica wooden bulldozer, a wishing well for his granddaughter’s wedding or the St. Benedict’s service time sign out on Fairview, Walter’s talent was unparalleled. Walter was a devoted member of Sacred Heart/St. Benedict’s, spending his Saturday evenings at Mass and Friday nights at Bingo. Regardless of the event or social setting, Walter would be the one holding the door open for you while sticking his hand out and asking for his “50 cents”. Walter went peacefully to be with the Lord on Thursday, January 26, 2023, his wife Betty by his side. Walter is survived by his loving family: wife Betty of over 70 years, daughter Gina, daughter Karen (Rick), grandson Walter (Anne), granddaughter Wendy (Bryan), granddaughter Jennifer (Thomas), granddaughter Jacqueline, and his great-grandchildren Bryan Daniel, Grayce, Blake, Nathan, and Alicia, along with numerous siblings, cousins, nieces, nephews, and long time friends. Walter was a loving husband, hardworking father, and a humorous Papa. Services will be held on Monday, February 13th at 11:00 am at St. Benedict’s Church in Hollister, CA. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Walter’s name to the Alzheimer’s Association, https://www.alz.org. If you have photos of Walter you would like to share with family for the service, please email to: rememberingwalterperreira@gmail.com