Obituary for Walter Cyphers
DALTON, MA --
Walter G. Cyphers died on Saturday, January 23, 2021, after a brief illness related to a courageous, 14-year battle with Parkinson’s Disease. He was 81. Born and raised in Warrior Run, PA, in 1939, the son of a coal miner, Mr. Cyphers received undergraduate and graduate degrees in physics and electrical engineering, from which he began a nearly fifty-year career as an electrical engineer, working for Electric Boat, General Electric, and, prior to his retirement, General Dynamics, where he was a lead engineer on the Trident II ballistic missile program. The Assistant US Secretary of the Navy bestowed upon Mr. Cyphers at his retirement a citation for his contributions to the defense of the United States during the Cold War.
Mr. Cyphers also contributed to his community by serving several terms on the Town of Dalton’s Conservation Commission and helped build numerous houses in Pittsfield for Habitat for Humanity. Mr. Cyphers was a voracious reader, woodcarver, and enjoyed tending to his fields and his blueberry and raspberry bushes on the grounds of “The Farmhouse” on Orchard Road.
Mr. Cyphers is survived by his wife of 57 years, the former Patricia Elaine Lundy, of Dalton; two sons, Christopher and Eric, both of New York City; a granddaughter Louisa; and a sister, Janet Cyphers, of Washington, DC. A daughter, Amy, predeceased Mr. Cyphers in 1998.
Mr. Cyphers’ will be interred at a private burial ceremony. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to remember Walt Cyphers may make a contribution in his name to the Dalton Free Public Library, in care of Dery-Foley Funeral Home, 890 E. Main St, Dalton, MA 01226.
Walter G. Cyphers died on Saturday, January 23, 2021, after a brief illness related to a courageous, 14-year battle with Parkinson’s Disease. He was 81. Born and raised in Warrior Run, PA, in 1939, the son of a coal miner, Mr. Cyphers received undergraduate and graduate degrees in physics and electrical engineering, from which he began a nearly fifty-year career as an electrical engineer, working for Electric Boat, General Electric, and, prior to his retirement, General Dynamics, where he was a lead engineer on the Trident II ballistic missile program. The Assistant US Secretary of the Navy bestowed upon Mr. Cyphers at his retirement a citation for his contributions to the defense of the United States during the Cold War.
Mr. Cyphers also contributed to his community by serving several terms on the Town of Dalton’s Conservation Commission and helped build numerous houses in Pittsfield for Habitat for Humanity. Mr. Cyphers was a voracious reader, woodcarver, and enjoyed tending to his fields and his blueberry and raspberry bushes on the grounds of “The Farmhouse” on Orchard Road.
Mr. Cyphers is survived by his wife of 57 years, the former Patricia Elaine Lundy, of Dalton; two sons, Christopher and Eric, both of New York City; a granddaughter Louisa; and a sister, Janet Cyphers, of Washington, DC. A daughter, Amy, predeceased Mr. Cyphers in 1998.
Mr. Cyphers’ will be interred at a private burial ceremony. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to remember Walt Cyphers may make a contribution in his name to the Dalton Free Public Library, in care of Dery-Foley Funeral Home, 890 E. Main St, Dalton, MA 01226.