Walter Reichelt, 87, passed away on June 21, 2013, peacefully, with his family members by his side. Walter was born on July 27, 1925 in Long Island, N.Y. In 1943, he served in the U.S. Army as a tank commander in France and Czechoslovakia. Following the war, he earned his bachelor's degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his doctorate in physics at Johns Hopkins University. He was married to Virginia Marshall in 1948. As a scientist at Los Alamos for more than 33 years, Walter worked on the Rover rocket program, the Antares laser fusion project and the Star Wars missile defense program. In his spare time, Walter loved fly fishing, skiing and arguing politics and religion. He sparked a passion for the pursuit of knowledge in everyone he met. Even the people Walter spoke to only briefly will remember him in his firm handshake, his intellectual curiosity and his always-kind voice. He will be greatly missed by his wife Virginia; his three sons Richard, Steve and Jim; his three daughters-in-law Lauren, Chris and Cindy; his grandchildren Dianna, Chloe, Ben and Dylan; and his great-grandchild Owen. All services are pending at this time. Please contact the funeral home for further information. The family of Walter Reichelt has entrusted their loved one to DeVargas Funeral Home & Crematory of the Espa–ola Valley. 505-747-7477, devargasfuneral.com.