Walter R. Elliott

Walter R. Elliott was a son, brother, husband, father, student, teacher and storyteller during his 90 years here on Earth.
Walter Radcliffe Elliott was born April 19, 1933 in Atlanta, Ga., the youngest of three sons to Charles C. Elliott, Sr. and Sybil Marie (Denniston) Elliott. His parents soon settled at 15 Ridgewood Terrace in Maplewood, NJ so his parents could pursue careers in the insurance industry.
Walter, middle brother William Thaw Elliott and eldest brother Charles C. Elliott II became Maplewood fixtures into the 1950s. They and their parents, for example, used to hold neighborhood “Elliott’s Puppets” shows while attending South Orange-Maplewood public schools.
“Walt,” who was a Columbia High School Cougar track and field hurdles runner, graduated with the Class of 1952. His interest in auto mechanics led him to become a pit crew man that year for an Atlantic Stock Car Club driver at Newark’s Ruppert Stadium.
Elliott started his higher learning at New Brunswick’s Rutgers University before he left for a U.S. Army tour during the Korean Conflict. Walt was mostly stationed in Heidelberg, West Germany before being honorably discharged.
Elliott resumed his studies at Flint, Michigan’s General Motors Institute, now Kettering University, in 1956. He was studying automobile dealership management when he was paired with a Flint Public Schools Spanish and art teacher, Ann Brown, on a blind date.
Walt and Ann Elliott were married Feb. 18, 1958 and settled in Orange, NJ. Walt worked his way up from mechanic to shop foreman and mechanics dispatcher at Newark’s Potamkin Chevrolet and Plaza Ford and West Orange’s Washington Ford while he and Ann raised their only son, Walter F.
Walt and Ann Elliott more than became Cleveland Street School PTA members 1965-71. They marched for and supported the effort to build the new Orange High School, which opened Sept. 3, 1973.
Walt attained a teaching certificate from Union’s now, Kean University and became a Lincoln Technical Institute automotive instructor in 1969. He worked at LTI in Newark and Union for 10 years and five days when the teacher’s union got locked out in 1979.
Elliott returned to the automotive industry as assistant manager at Clifton’s Gensinger Volkswagen and Rahway’s Bell Porsche-Audi. He missed teaching and recertified his teaching certificate at Kean when LTI colleague Ed Bauer told him of an opening in Elizabeth High School.
Elliott taught auto shop for special needs students at EHS’ Aboff House until the last of his students were mainstreamed in 2000. It was during that era when he and son Walter would take several of his students to the New York International Auto Show, Pine Brook Speedway and Wall Stadium.
“The Walters Elliott” more than attended all of the Indycar races at the Meadowlands and at Nazareth (Pa.) Speedway. They assisted Pine Brook Speedway 1987-89 and became American Micro Stock Racing Association officials 1990-92.
Both Walters followed the highs and lows of the NFL New York Giants football team on television or radio. Walter R. started following when Frank Gifford and Y.A. Tittle were quarterbacks in the 1950s and 60s; Walter F. started with the 1968-71 Fran Tarkington era.
Elliott, in retirement, joined West Orange’s Elks Lodge 1590. He had also been a member of the Universalist Unitarian Congregation of Montclair, the UAW, the AFT and the Elizabeth Education Association, among other organizations, at different times.
Elliott, 90, died June 12 in an East Orange hospice. He was the last of the Elliott brothers, William (CHS Class of 1948) and Charles (CHS Class of 1946), having passed away by March 10, 2014. Wife Ann died May 3, 2021.
Son Walter, daughter-in-law Naomi and nephew Charles “Chaz” and niece Carol Elliott, of Tompkins County, N.Y. are among his survivors.
Walt and Ann Elliott’s memorial service has been scheduled for Noon July 28 at Bethel New Life Community Outreach, at Grace UAME, 450 North Maple Ave., East Orange, NJ 07017. Their remains’ final repose will be private. Funeral arrangements have been made with G.G. Woody Funeral Home, of Roselle.
Walter R. and Ann Elliott’s survivors thank Churchill Georges for befriending Walt in his last years.
Memorial donations may be made to Indycar Ministry, PO Box 24297, Speedway, IN. 46224. Condolences may be sent to ggwoodyfuneralhome.com and/or 56-62 Halleck St., No. 301, Newark, NJ 07104.