Wallace 'Wally' Fortier

Wally Fortier
1929-2016
St. Johnsbury, Vermont

Wallace Frederick “Wally” Fortier, age 87, of Cross Avenue, passed away at the Littleton Hospital in Littleton, NH, Sunday morning, November 27, 2016.

Wally was born in Jeffersonville, VT, March 26, 1929, son to the late Fred and Goldie (Burnor) Fortier. He was raised in Jeffersonville graduating from Cambridge High School with the Class of 1947.  As a young child Wally would ride his bicycle to the Cambridge Jct. railroad station and spend countless hours watching trains and taking in the railroader's stories.  His career spanned steam engines to modern day diesel locomotives. His life was railroading and he will always be known as one of the last real railroaders.  He married the former Leola Mae Loura in 1950 and shared 60 years together when she passed in 2010.

Wally's childhood passion for the railroad led him to his first job at the age of 18 with the St. J & LC Railroad as a locomotive fireman shoveling coal. Seventeen years later he transferred to the Canadian Pacific Railway and he finished there after a combined forty-three years as a Brakeman and Freight Conductor retiring in 1990. He was very proud of his life-long career in railroading and of the many other activities he enjoyed including Rail Photography and Model Railroading during his retirement years.  He also enjoyed snowmobiling and walking, lots of walking!  Wally was a longtime member of the Passumpsic Lodge #27 Free & Accepted Masons, the Scottish Rite, the St. Johnsbury Elks Club, and a Shriner belonging to the Mt. Sinai Temple #3, along with the Mt. Sinai Arab Patrol.

Wally is survived by his 3 children: Michael Fortier (Lisa Briggs) of San Antonio, TX, Sandra Mercier (Harvey Burton) of Severna Park, MD, Cynthia Wheeler (David) of St. Johnsbury; 6 grandchildren: Michael Fortier, Jr., Sheri Lyn Fortier, Katrina McGreevy, Daniel Mercier, Nathan Wheeler, and Nicholas Wheeler; and  five great-grandchildren.  He was predeceased by a sister: Gladys Fortier.

Friends may call on the family from 6-8PM, Wednesday, November 30, 2016, at the Sayles Funeral Home, 525 Summer St. in St. Johnsbury.  The evening will begin to close with a Masonic Service at 7:30PM.

Funeral Services will be held at 10AM on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016 at the funeral home.  Burial will follow at Mt. Calvary Cemetery on St. Johns Street, officiated by John Sleeper.

Memories and condolences may be shared at www.saylesfh.com