Herman Walters

Farmington
Herman M. Walters
Feb. 23, 1951 - Jan. 22, 2016
Herman M. "Hemo" Walters, of Farmington, was born in Elk City, Okla., Feb. 23, 1951, to Milton Herman and Mary Jo Walters. Hemo was born on the same day as his father, and he had a great sense of humor, an honest character and was athletic, like his dad.
Hemo was preceded in death by his parents, Herman and Mary Jo Walters; his brother, Wally Joe; and Wally's son, Jason C. Walters. He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Peggy Ann Walters; sons, Weston and his wife Christina, and Herman Knowlton; daughter, Willow Dale and her husband Albert Bassett; grandchildren, Crystal Rose and Preston Michael Olivo-Walters and Jameson Daniel Bassett; brother, Faun Milton Walters and his wife Patricia; and sisters, Meridee Walters and Laura Lee and her husband Greg Harper and their children and grandchildren; brother-in-law, David Corbett; and sisters-in-law, Susan Whitman and Nancy Williams and their children and grandchildren.
Hemo was most noted for his success in competitive gymnastics and his ability to develop that talent in those he coached, but he played the piano, could yodel, raised rabbits, trained owls, collected wild bird eggs, fished, trapped, hunted mushrooms and taught his beloved dog, Flip, to hunt, play dead and do a back flip. Walters was a gymnast throughout high school and college, and was inducted into the Farmington High School Sports Hall of Fame. In 1976, he competed in an exhibition meet against the Rumanian gymnastic team, set up by his University of New Mexico coach, Rusty Mitchell. The news headlined Walters and Nadia Comaneci. It was also during this time that Hemo traveled to Philadelphia to compete in the 1976 Olympic Trials. Not making the team, Hemo returned to Farmington to establish the Hemo Walters Academy of Gymnastics, where he and his wife Peggy trained more than two dozen state champions and several national champions. Hemo was a featured gymnast in the film adaptation of Desmond Morris' "The Naked Ape" starring Johnny Crawford ("The Rifleman") and Victoria Principal.
After retiring from coaching gymnastics, Hemo lived a quiet life working as a substitute teacher for Farmington schools and enjoying his love for gardening and canning, a skill he learned from his grandfather, Elmer Alfonzo Taylor. He liked researching the history of the Morman pioneers.
The family requests only those fond memories you have of Hemo.
A remembrance for Hemo is planned at a date, time and place to be announced.