Obituary of Jean Lanning Walter

Jean Lanning Walter, 87, an educator who taught for more than twenty years in the Trenton and Ewing Township school systems, continued her career at the Ewing Residential Treatment Center for fifteen years, and finally launched a second career as a volunteer in numerous local charities, died Friday, October 14th at Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton, after a brief illness. A lifelong Trenton area resident, born to Elsa and Lester Lanning, Mrs. Walter graduated from Trenton High School, and Trenton State College (now the College of New Jersey), and later earned a master degree in reading education from Trenton State College. After beginning her career in the Trenton school system, she began teaching in the Ewing system in the late 1950’s, with the majority of those years at Lore Elementary School. She later served as the Supervisor of Education and then Chief Executive Officer of the Ewing Residential Treatment Center on Stuyvesant Avenue. After retiring in 1985, she joined numerous local charities, serving in key leadership positions in Soroptimist International of Trenton, the Boehme Opera Guild, the Mercer Auxiliary of the Capital Health System, Planned Parenthood of Bucks County, and the Alter Guild at St. Matthews Episcopal Church. She was also active in the Women’s College Club of Princeton, the Friends of the State Museum and the Trenton Torch Club. Committed to making a difference, she was an active contributor to all of these organizations. Married to William E. Walter, Jr., also of Trenton, who passed away in 1983, and sister of the late Richard Lanning, Jean is survived by her brother Carl, her two sons, Edward and Thomas, her two daughter-in-laws, Carole and Lucylle, and five grandchildren, Melanie, Richard, Samantha, William and Jenna. Burial Office will be celebrated on Monday at 11 AM at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 300 S. Main Street in Pennington, with Fr. Jack Belmont, Rector, officiating. Burial will be in the Ewing Cemetery. Friends may call on Sunday from 4 PM to 7 PM at Poulson & Van Hise Funeral Directors, 650 Lawrence Road, Lawrenceville. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Mercer Auxiliary of the Capital Health System, 446 Bellevue Avenue, Trenton, NJ 08618.