Class of 19

Ruth Walter Obituary

Ruth Mahala Walter, who went by her middle name Mahala, passed away on Thursday, August 25, 2022, after a lengthy illness.

Born in Shenandoah, Iowa, Mahala was active in 4H and basketball, and upon graduation from Farragut High School in 1954, she attended Iowa State University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in home economics and was president of the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority.

In 1958, Mahala married Marvin Walter, whom she first met in high school before attending university together. After graduation, the couple lived in Biloxi, Mississippi; Washington, DC; Green Bay, Wisconsin; and Minneapolis, Minnesota before landing in Southern California, where Mahala remained for 60 years, living in West Hills, Westchester, University Park (downtown Los Angeles), and Long Beach.

As a professional home economist, Mahala worked for Amana Appliances and McCall's Pattern Company, in addition to producing her own informational television programs. Mahala also worked as a middle school teacher at Oxon Hill Middle School in Maryland, and at St. Jerome's Catholic School in Westchester. An avid gardener, Mahala became a professional florist later in life.

In addition to her professional pursuits, Mahala was a dedicated public servant who served as president of the westside chapter of the National Kidney Foundation. More recently, Mahala was a commissioner of Los Angeles World Airports, a volunteer at the Bob Hope USO at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and also managed the LAX Food Pantry.

Mahala is preceded in death by her parents, Floyd and Ruth Brown, and her brother, James Brown. She is survived by several family members who reside in the Long Beach area, including Marvin Walter, her husband of 64 years; her daughter Marya Walter, who blessed Mahala with two grandsons, Brett and Eric Hughes; and her son, Matson Walter, along with his wife, Krista Scheib. She is also survived by her brother Michael Brown, of Sun Valley, California, and another son, Merrick Walter, who lives with his life partner, Mark German, in New York City.

 

Mahala Brown of Farragut High School was indeed named a First-Team Forward on the 1953–1954 Des Moines Register All-State girls' basketball team.

Her placement on the 1954 roster corrects the partial list mentioned earlier. In the 6-on-6 era of Iowa high school girls’ basketball, she was one of the premier forwards in the state, leading Farragut to a state tournament appearance that season.

Career Highlights for Mahala Brown (Farragut)

  • 1953 Season: Named a Second-Team All-State Forward.
  • 1954 Season: Promoted to First-Team All-State Forward on a front line that featured Sandra Fiete and Donna Eshelman.
  • Later Life: Known outside of her basketball career as Ruth Mahala Walter, she graduated from Farragut in 1954, earned a degree from Iowa State University, and worked as a professional home economist and educator.

The complete, corrected 1953–54 Des Moines Register All-State First Team consisted of:

  • F — Mahala Brown (Farragut)
  • F — Sandra Fiete (Garnavillo)
  • F — Donna Eshelman (Bondurant)
  • G — Joanne Meier (Garnavillo)
  • G — Shirley Kiesel (Garrison)
  • G — Gloria Sickman (Oakland)