Walter and I spent many hours together in the dorms at Boise State. I have always considered him one of the most important people I’ve ever had the privilege to be friends with. He was accepting and understanding, kind and compassionate. He showed me a way to be myself at a time in my life when I didn’t know such things. 

We have stayed in touch all these years later. He was always a steady rock of a man as the world moved. I will miss you my dear sweet friend. 

Wally has been a large inspiration for me. I first discovered him through his voiceover work in Legend of Dragoon, a game I happened upon as a kid. Many years later, that ended up being my all-time favorite game, and I also became an archivist. Wally was one of the names I came across in the game's credits, which led me down one of my favorite rabbit holes. 

The first thing I found was his website - Wally's WEIRD Voices. A classically retro website that, while not polished in appearance, was stylish and practical nonetheless. The site was chock full of samples of his voice work and art pieces. Wally has an impressive vocal range, and has no reservations about being weird and acting out for the sake of a fun performance. Eventually I decided to look him up and see if I could speak with him about his work or learn more about him otherwise. 

I added Wally on Facebook a few years back. We did not speak much for awhile - life stuff as usual (and I almost never use Facebook). However, in recent years I found myself visiting his FB profile every so often just to see what he's been posting. His random thoughts on life and his art pieces resonated with me. I enjoyed his abstract, creative pieces quite a lot, and I liked the ones he shared from other creators as well.

Earlier this year I made a note that I would include him in a list of shrines I'm building to honor the work and life of people who have inspired me - past and present. His website is on archive.org, but random bits are missing.  He has told me before that he does not mind being promoted. In fact, he once told me "I am a COMPLETE HAM."

Last month, Wally agreed to do an interview with me, to be shared with the Legend of Dragoon community. I was excited to hear his opinion and take on the game's story, the other characters who were as over-the-top as he was, and talk all about his life after voice acting. Wally was very excited to be seen and heard by fans. 

Unfortunately, since he was being kicked out of his current residence on short notice, we had to postpone the interview until well after the move. Real life first, always. In the meantime he told me about an art exhibit that was featuring some of his work in early November. I nearly bought a plane ticket I couldn't afford just to see the exhibit, thank him, and get to know him in person. Alas, he was not able to make it. I wished I could do more for him, and so that was my plan once he was settled and ready post-move.

Wally's passing hurts me more than it should. I only know this: humans are beautiful beings, and we should make the most of any given day with family, friends, or even people we hardly know. I may know precious little of him, but I will do my part to honor his memory, and make sure people know of the wacky, soulful individual Wally Fields for decades to come.