[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 33 (Friday, February 18, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E159]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  REMEMBERING WALTER IGNATIUS WILLARD

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TROY A. CARTER

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 18, 2022

  Mr. CARTER of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
late Walter Ignatius Willard.
  Walter was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on April 14, 1957, the 
fifth child of twelve born to the late Elliot ``Doc'' Willard Sr. and 
Mary Jane Jordan Willard. He passed away peacefully on February 11, 
2022, at the age of 64, after a well-fought battle with early-onset 
Alzheimer's disease. He is survived by the love of his life, Valerie 
``Missy'' Sims; their three daughters, Jordan, Jillian, and Jenna; his 
eleven siblings; and many nephews, nieces, and friends.
  A proud Purple Knight, Walter attended St. Augustine High School, and 
prior to graduating in 1975, played trumpet for St. Aug's renowned 
Marching 100. He not only was the trumpet section leader, but also was 
the first musician selected to play the band's newly introduced herald 
trumpet. He then earned a B.A. in political science in 1979 at Tulane 
University, where his ceaseless love of music led him to join the 
university's marching band. Walter then ventured to Washington, D.C., 
where he obtained his J.D. from the American University Washington 
College of Law in 1982. While in the nation's capital, Walter worked in 
the Capitol Hill offices of Louisiana Congressman Gillis Long, Senator 
Russell Long, and Senator J. Bennett Johnston.
  Walter returned to New Orleans to start his law career, eventually 
earning a Master of Law degree in energy and environment from Tulane 
Law School in 1993. Over the course of his 30-year legal career, he was 
admitted to the bar for the states of Louisiana, New Jersey, and 
Pennsylvania, and served as judge pro tempore for the Orleans Civil 
District Court. As Dr. Martin Luther King once said, ``True peace is 
not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.'' A 
passionate advocate for justice, Walter spent his career leveraging his 
judgment and compassion in the pursuit of Dr. King's vision for 
authentic peace. One of his greatest endeavors in this regard was 
acting as one of the plaintiffs in the historic Supreme Court 
redistricting case Chisolm v. Edwards, which set the stage for 
Louisiana's first African American Supreme Court justice.
  Walter's remarkable life was characterized by unconditional love and 
support for family and friends, zealous engagement with community 
programs and initiatives to improve life for others, and an ardent 
devotion to God. A lifelong parishioner at St. Raymond Catholic Church, 
he was an altar boy in his youth and became a member of the church's 
choir as an adult. Selflessly committed to the betterment of his 
community, Walter's civic involvements included acting as a voluntary 
attorney in child neglect cases for the Orleans Parish Juvenile Court 
CASA program, participating on the mayor's Environmental Affairs 
Advisory Committee as well as the Task Force on City-Owned Cemeteries, 
and serving as a member and chair of the New Orleans Historic District 
Landmarks Commission. Additionally, Walter was a 30-year member of the 
Sugar Bowl Committee and a nine-year board member of both the Young 
Leadership Council and Young Audiences of Louisiana organization.
  A veritable Renaissance Man, one could easily find Walter in a 
courtroom arguing a case, at Tipitina's jamming out to the Soul Rebels, 
at the Riverbend coaching his daughters' soccer teams, at the Loyola 
gym picking up a game of basketball, in the kitchen making omelets, in 
the yard planting a garden, restoring an old car, or playing with the 
family's menagerie of pets. He was a wonder to all who knew and loved 
him, and he will be remembered fondly for his joyful spirit and 
relentless optimism, which served him well until God called him home. 
The loss and death of Walter bears witness to the divine and mysterious 
power of redemptive suffering. Through his heroic battle, Walter has 
helped shower numerous heavenly graces and blessings upon all of those 
he loved so deeply, and we are eternally grateful.

                          ____________________