Walter David Gutrick, Sr. was born on January 26, 1946 to the late Marie Proctor Gutrick and Walter Gutrick in Nanjemoy, Maryland. Walter grew up and attended schools in Charles County, Maryland. His mother died when he was eleven years old and his father later married Mattie Colbert of Chapel Hill, MD who became a very special and loving stepmom.

In 1963, he met Martha Warrick in Chapel Hill, Maryland and they were married in 1968. They shared a deep and abiding love, he even had "Martha" tattooed on his upper arm before they married. He became the proud and devoted father of Kelley Patrice, Michele Elaine and Walter David, Jr. They settled and raised the family in Fort Washington. Their love and affection has spanned 48 years and in April 2011 they celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary. Walter was absolutely devoted to his wife and their three children. Three and a half years ago, he was blessed with a granddaughter, Kaci Marie Gutrick, who he adored. While he could not visit them often, he constantly talked about his beloved sisters, Elaine, Barbara Ann and 'Curley'. He loved to play cards with them, tell his "corny" jokes and just reminisce.

Walter became a master house painter and all-around home improvement contractor. Over the years, he worked for several large companies, and then started his own home improvement business. After seeing his exceptional work, several company owners regularly called Walter to do their personal residences. Many of his customers became lifelong friends. He also worked for many good years with a dear friend, Louis Johnson, of Fort Washington, until he went into semi-retirement several years ago.

Walter was very popular and was known for his jovial personality and animated sense of humor. His friends called him "Gut" and he had a great reputation for beating many of them playing his favorite game: pool. Those closest to him will never forget the jokes and funny stories he would tell (he'd often be the first one laughing) and his habit of making cat and dog sounds for no apparent reason other than to scare us or make us laugh. He was also a great whistler and would make sounds like beautiful birds. Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner will never be the same with Walter's famous macaroni and cheese and potato salad. Michele says he taught her to fry great chicken.

When Walter was not working, he was with his family. He loved to barbeque and eat crabs. Before his health problems, he enjoyed working in the yard and neighbors Violet (Errol) Arthur and Jackie Benton would share beautiful plants with him from their yards. He also loved to watch (too much) television. He would watch almost anything; some of his favorites included sports, old westerns, World's Dumbest Criminals, and police dramas.

Walter's children were blessed with a great father. Their friends would often say, "I wish my father was like yours." Walter was always there for his children (and later grandchild) . . . little league for David, taking them to the zoo, and their music lessons for years, school activities, graduations (between his three children, he'd attended nine so far and was looking forward to David's upcoming law school graduation), and hundreds of Michele's performances.

Walter was preceded in death by his oldest sister, Marie Taylor; younger brother, Donald Gutrick; younger sister, Edna Matthews; and older brother, Mitchell Clark.

He leaves to mourn his passing his devoted wife, Martha, his loving children, Kelley, Michele and David; his granddaughter, Kaci; his sisters, Elaine Burns and Barbara Ann Marbury; sisters-in-law, Geraldine Nichols and Marilyn Warrick, brothers-in-law, Alfred Warrick, Joseph Young (Antoinette) and John Young (Kimble), nieces and nephews and a host of other relatives and friends. Walter's family loved him very much and will miss him terribly.

His viewing will take place 10am until time of Service, 11am, Monday, August 29, 2011 at Grace United Methodist Church, 11700 Old Fort Road, Fort Washington, Maryland. Interment, Cedar Hill Cemetery, Suitland, Maryland.

Arrangements provided by Thornton Funeral Home.