Walter Charles Childs, 79, died Sunday, March 11, 2012, at Cornerstone Hospice House, The Villages, Florida. Mr. Childs was born June 18, 1932, in London, England, but became a U.S. citizen Nov. 22, 1978. He came to the United States after his British 8th Army service in 1953, settling in Pensacola, Fla., where he met his future wife, Sally. He began his engineering career with St. Regis Paper Co. and spent the next 39 years working for several engineering firms in the U.S. and Canada, retiring as Vice-President, Chief Engineer and Director of Operations for BE&K of Mobile. He and his wife were active members of St. James Episcopal Church where he served on the vestry. Survivors are brothers, Michael Childs, Reno, Nev., Danny Childs, Jay, Okla.; and sister, Ella Childs Churchill, Franklin, N.C. Also surviving is his wife of 55 years, the former Sally Slater of Deland, Fla.; four children, daughter Janet Childs Gallagher, Bradenton, Fla., Mark Slater Childs, Marietta, Ga., Paul Douglass Childs, Fairhope, and Peter Gregory Childs, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; five grandchildren, Matthew Howard, Orange Park, Fla., Geoffrey Howard, Centreville, Vir., Bridgette Maryman, Seattle, Wash., Stephanie McAllister, Salisbury, Md., and Rachel Childs, Marietta, Ga.; and eight great-grandchildren. A Funeral Mass will be at St. Timothy Catholic Church, 1351 Paige Place, The Villages, Fla., on Saturday, March 17 at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Cornerstone Hospice, The Villages, Fla., or St. Jude's Children's Hospital, Memphis, TN.
