Sometimes you hear a person say, “He was the nicest guy you’d ever want to meet.” Just such a guy was Walter John Nizio, 82 of Allentown who died unexpectedly at home last Thursday.

One of eight children born to Polish immigrants Peter Nizio and Agnes Malek Nizio who arrived in the US just before WWI and who then endured the Great Depression, Walter took to heart the classic European values of thrift and common sense as a way of understanding life and contending with the times. He was graduated from Allen High School and focused on mastering essential business skills by earning an Associate’s Degree in Accounting from Peirce Business School in Philadelphia where he was a member of Sigma Gamma Omega fraternity.
Imbued with a strong sense of service and personal pride Walter was a veteran of the Pennsylvania National Guard where he saw active service as a corporal in the 51st Brigade of the Infantry.
After his honorable discharge in 1952, Walter became an accounting specialist at the Bethlehem Steel headquarters where his concentration on detailed accuracy won him an enviable reputation as a business technical expert. Walter was also an early advocate of healthy living and eating. He excelled in physical fitness until well into his 60s with softball, running, cross-country skiing and deep sea fishing.
Testifying to his athleticism was a 1987 ALLENTOWN MORNING CALL newspaper photo of 58-year-old Walter Nizio front and center sporting American flag running shorts and a Statue of Liberty T-shirt as he raced across a field at the head of a pack of strong young men in a special Lehigh Valley Independence Day marathon. In the picture, his face displayed a concentration and determination which reflected his approach to life in general.



In recent years Walter gracefully slipped into the role of family caregiver, attending devotedly to the needs of his family and his vegetable garden. Throughout his life, Walter exemplified a simple self-effacing grace and intelligence, never seeking center stage, instead preferring to encourage his peers and friends to shine or to express their opinions while in response he would smile in quiet approval. Walter was a devout Catholic who never missed Sunday Mass and was active in volunteering for events centered on St Peter and Paul Polish Catholic Church.



Walter is predeceased by his sister Angela Nellie T Kozero and brothers Edward, Paul and Joseph. He is survived by his sisters Julia Nizio of Allentown, Loretta Malow of Summerfield, FL, and Cecilia Lerch of Coopersburg, three nieces and five nephews.



Calling hours will be Tuesday morning 9:30-10:15 at St Peter and St Paul Polish Church 1065 Fullerton Ave. in Allentown. This will be followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30AM and internment at Holy Savior Cemetery in Bethlehem. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the church. Arrangements care of Kohut Funeral Home, Inc.