Walter Deyton

Walter Deyton departed this life peacefully on March 27, 2021. He was born on October 10, 1930 at Mission Hospital in Asheville, NC, to John W. Deyton, Sr. and Ruby Wiseman Deyton. He arrived on the first day that his parents moved from Spruce Pine, NC to Asheville, NC. Walt grew up in Asheville, Spruce Pine, Pensacola, FL, and Corpus Christi, TX. He lived and worked most of his life in Danville, VA. As a young man, he and his brother John worked together on the Blue Ridge Parkway when parts of the road were still gravel. Although he graduated from high school in Texas, his heart remained with the class of 1948 at Harris High, in Spruce Pine, NC. Walt graduated Phi Beta Kappa from The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC with a BA in Chemistry. He then attended The University of North Carolina School of Medicine and received his M.D. Degree in 1955. While in Chapel Hill, Walt met and married Anne Cates Cobb of Burlington, NC, who was his wife for 42 years. Following medical school graduation, Walt completed his internship and then proudly served his country as a General Medical Officer in the US Navy. After discharge from the Navy, Walt practiced General Medicine and later decided to specialize in Radiology. He completed his Radiology residency at the Bowman-Gray School of Medicine, (now Wake Forest University School of Medicine). In 1963, Walt moved his young family to Danville, VA, and began his practice of Radiology at The Memorial Hospital (now SOVAH), where he practiced until he retired in 1996. He was a founding member of Danville Radiologists, Inc. and Danville Diagnostic Imaging Center. He enjoyed providing clinical instruction to the Radiologic Technology students at the hospital, and helped many radiology and ultrasound technologists find and develop their careers in this field. During retirement, Walt liked to travel, visit family, and hone his family stories. He was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Danville, VA for many years. In his later years, he moved to Deerfield Episcopal Retirement Center in Asheville, NC, and became an active member of St. Giles Episcopal Church. Dr. Deyton was preceded in death by his parents, wife Anne, and his brother, John Deyton, Jr. Surviving and cherishing his memory are his brothers Smitty (Jo) and Bop (Jeff); his children Teresa (Danny), Thomas, and Cheryl (Monty); his grandson, Cade, and extended family members. Walt’s family would like to express their heartfelt appreciation to the staff and medical personnel of Deerfield, who were kind, loving, and always ready to hear (another) story. Walter survived Covid-19 in the fall of 2020. Subsequently, he was also lovingly cared for by Margarita, Refugio, Blanca, Endira, and Maria Teresa. He lived his last years deeply and courageously. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Susan L. Edwards Scholarship Fund, Community Foundation of the Dan River Region, 541 Loyal Street, Danville, 24541, (www.cfdrr.org), or to a charity of your choice. A service will be held at Grace Episcopal Church of Asheville, NC, on Friday, April 16, at 4:30 pm. The service will be found at https://tinyurl.com/graceUTvideos . The service can be viewed live, or at a later time. The link will remain on the Grace Episcopal website at: https://www.graceavl.com/. A later memorial service is planned for the fall of 2021, when Dr. Deyton’s remains will be interred at Danville Memorial Gardens, Danville, VA. Condolences can be made to the family at www.ashevilleareaalternative.com.

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