Walter L. Childs, of Middleboro formerly of Plymouth, died on December 15th at the Jordan Hospital at the age of 83. Walter was born in Plymouth, the 5th child of Prentiss B. and Emily Childs of Brookside Farm. As a graduate of Plymouth High School, Walter joined the U.S Marine Corp where he shared his interest in magic on a “slow boat to China”. Upon his discharge from the Marine Corp, he attended the Agricultural College at UMASS Amherst. After graduating from college, he worked on many farms in the area, but he always loved magic. He became a professional magician, joined the Boston S.A.M #9 and the I.B.M. ring #22 and received the Order of Merlin from them. He was also a member of the Elks.
Walter, brother of Alice Grennell of Plymouth, Harriett Schauer of FL and Edith Marsh of VA and the late Prentiss Childs, is predeceased by his long time partner in life and in magic, Joan McKnight. He is survived by his children Karen Levy and her husband David of Sandwich, Kevin Walter Childs and his wife Sally of N. Dartmouth and Allison Doyle and her husband Peter of N. Hampton, NH; his grandchildren Jesse Childs, Kevin and his wife Devon, Emily, Katherine and William Doyle, David and Heather Levy and great grandson Thomas Levy. He also leaves his stepchildren Wesley Wright of NY and Michelle Wright of Boston.
Visiting hours will be held at the Richard Davis Funeral Home, 619 State Rd (Rt 3A), Plymouth (Manomet) on Tuesday, December 21st from 6 to 8 PM with a Broken Wand Ceremony at 7:30 PM. A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, December 22nd at the Manomet Cemetery at 11 AM. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Society of Young Magicians – SYM #29, c/o David Oliver, 41 Norman St, Rockland, MA 02370 or to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 10 Brookline Place W Floor 6, Brookline, MA 02445-9924, ATTN: Contribution Services.