Obituary of Jean Louise Walter

South Plainfield - Jean Louise Walter, 84, died suddenly Tuesday, February 20, 2018 at JFK Medical Center in Edison. Born in Wilkes Barre, PA to the late Charles and Ellen Smith, Jean resided in Newark where she met her husband of 62 years, David. It was love at first sight when the pair met at Franklin Methodist Church in Newark. After David's service in Korea, they were married in the church and soon settled in South Plainfield, raising four children. Jean worked as a Registered Nurse for Elizabeth General Hospital, and then started her career as a devoted mother and was dedicated to raising her children. She was very active in her church, Wesley United Methodist in South Plainfield, holding various chairs and many board memberships. In the 1980s, she was chosen to accompany her bishop on a Methodist missionary trip to the Philippines and China. She was a member of the Chancel and Bell Choirs, trained in a ministry where she was "Dusty the Clown", and became Librarian, taking the church library from a dusty storage room for old books to an active, current, lending library. She was a pioneer for women in the United Methodist Church, president of the United Methodist Women, and instrumental in establishing Women's Sunday. In her spare time, Jean read mystery novels and volunteered her time with the Plainfield Animal Hospital and St Hubert's Animal Welfare Center. She will be missed by her husband, David E. Walter of South Plainfield; four children, David Walter, Jr. and wife Chizuko of Hillsborough, Karen Insel and husband Edward of Washington, Douglas Walter and wife Anne of Montebello, NY, Donald Walter and wife Lisa of Long Valley. She will be remembered by her five grandchildren, Douglas Jr., Jamie, Raymond, Katherine and Daniel. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 3 at 11:00AM in Wesley United Methodist Church, 1500 Plainfield Avenue South Plainfield NJ 07080. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jean's memory to the Wesley United Methodist Church Memorial Fund or Rock Avenue Animal Shelter, 75 Rock Avenue, Plainfield 07063.