Walter Lohri

Walter Lohri, age 96 of Charlotte, NC passed away on October 15, 2024. Walter was born in Tagertschi Bern, Switzerland on August 5th, 1928 to Ernst and Marie Lohri.

He is survived by his loving wife of 73 years, Nelly Lohri, his daughter Mary Moser, son Nick and daughter-in-law Annie, daughter Evelyn and son-in-law Patrick and son Peter and daughter-in-law Cambria. Walter is also survived by eight grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.

A Memorial Service will be held at Raymer-Kepner Funeral Home 1601 Old Statesville Road, Huntersville, NC 28078 on Monday, October 21st at 10am ET.

Walter and Nelly met in Erlen, Switzerland in gymnastics at the age of 15. After completing high school, Walter was trained as a diesel mechanic and Nelly as a seamstress. Walter emigrated to Canada taking a job with the Royal Canadian Air Force as an aviation mechanic. He wrote to Nelly, who was working as a governess in Oadby, Leicestershire, England and asked her to marry him. Nelly took an ocean liner for her voyage to Montreal where Walter was awaiting her arrival. 

Nelly got a job at a local hospital the day after her arrival and they wed in 1951. Soon after, they started their family. Molly was born in 1953 and Nick was born in 1954. After a brief return to Switzerland in 1958, the couple emigrated to Bayshore, Queens, New York in 1959 where Walter took a job with Swissair at JFK International as an aviation mechanic. Soon after their arrival, Evelyn was born in 1959. They eventually moved to Brentwood, Long Island, New York and Peter was born in 1968.

Walter worked two jobs for more than 20 years to provide for his family. Mornings were alternately spent at a European Import car garage and at Kings Dairy Farm repairing cars, trucks and farm equipment and afternoons and evenings were spent servicing and repairing jet aircraft. Walter could quite literally fix anything. Despite his busy schedule, Walter always made time to be with his family, taking them out on the boat in Long Island Sound and hosting his neighbors back in the days were block parties were in fashion. The entire family fondly recalls traveling to Lake Ontario, Canada each summer to spend time at Quicks Quaint Resort.

Walter received a promotion to Station Engineer in 1980 and he, Nelly and Peter moved to Georgetown, MA. Walter worked for Swissair at Boston Logan, traveling with the weekly flights to service the aircraft in Chicago, Montreal, Toronto and other cities when his colleagues in those cities were off or on holiday. Walter had many airframe and turbine licenses and had annual travel for training and certification to Seattle, Dallas and Zurich. As he became familiar with the training staff at each port, they began excuse him from participating in the practical application exercises meant to test his cohorts, the electrical and mechanical engineers with masters degrees that were half his age. His retelling of these stories was a family favorite that never, ever, got stale.

In 1992, Walter and Nelly retired and moved south to New Bern, NC a sister city of their birthplace in Bern, Switzerland and eventually to Charlotte, NC to be closer to family. He took care of his neighbors and they returned his favors and were always ready to assist when he and Mom needed anything whatsoever. Walter made every community in which he resided better, was a selfless and honorable man and lived a noble life. Walter was absolutely adored by his entire family but most of all by his grand and great grandchildren and will be sincerely missed by all.