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WALTER L. BRENHOLTS March 20, 1928 - July 12, 2020 Of Mountain Top, PA, formerly of Pleasant Hills. Walter graduated from Peabody High School in 1944 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University. Walter loved playing bridge and was a Gold Life Master. He was also an expert in many other card games, reveling in them with family and friends through the years. Annual family vacations to the Outer Banks and Cape Cod were full of sand, salt water, seashells, glee, and adventures with Walter prepping his fishing gear in front of the TV during the week preceding departure, driving to the shore in a station wagon filled with six kids, a family friend, the family dog, a guitar, luggage, beach umbrellas, beach towels, linens, sun screen, picnic baskets, the fishing gear, and his ever patient wife Jeanne, and blowing up multiple canvas rafts by mouth under an umbrella pummeled by ocean winds (though he really only went in the water when his children were young, lifting the little ones up in the surf as the tall waves broke and the fish swam by). Walter had an extremely green thumb, planting and harvesting a large vegetable garden with lettuce, beets, radishes, carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, green beans, and herbs. He also grew and tended to indoor plants, from a 3 inch aloe plant in Pleasant Hills that is now 3 feet, to a collection of cacti and succulents on his windowsill in Mountain Top. An avid Steelers fan, Walter relished watching with his son Tom. He also had Pirates season tickets for over fifty years and was able to attend at least one game in each of the 1960, 1971, and 1979 world series, including being in the right field stands at Forbes Field with his wife Jeanne in 1960 to celebrate Bill Mazeroski's home run. Walter also had Penguin season tickets and enjoyed watching the team during both losing and winning seasons, triumphantly holding the Stanley Cup overhead at a celebration in 1991. Reading, especially mystery, espionage, and crime novels, was a passion for Walter. He was known to have an open book on each floor and every room of the house. He was always happy to share his favorites with family and friends upon completion. Walter also loved music of all types, but especially New Orleans music and Big Band jazz. He traveled often to New Orleans for the Jazz and Heritage festival, and became friends and pen pals with many of the musicians he loved listening to. Several times he was a guest on classic jazz programs on WQED radio in the 70s and 80s, playing music from his vast collection of rare LPs and taped radio transcriptions. Genealogy was a passion for Walter, beginning in the late 1970's and continuing throughout his life - even visiting the Chester County PA Archives as recently as 2016 with his daughters Amy and Barbara. He traced Brenholts ancestors back to the Revolutionary War and beyond, identifying and detailing the ancestral tree from their arrival in the USA in 1749 to the present. He went on to also research and create genealogical profiles for his mother's ancestors as well as both of his wife Jeanne's parents. Walter was married to Jeanne Axton Brenholts for 37 years before her death in 1987. In 1989 he married Margaret Eichenberg Brenholts who passed away in 1991. Walter worked at Pennsylvania Industrial Chemical Corporation (PICCO) and Hercules, Inc. before retiring in 1993. He was an active and engaged West Jefferson Hills School District Board Member from 1970-1988. Walter was preceded in death by his son, James Brenholts (Linda Madden-Brenholts) in 2009. Walter is survived by his beloved children, Catherine Martin (James), Barbara Berendt (John), Thomas Brenholts (Mary Joan), Mary Brenholts, Amy Brenholts (Greg Browne, deceased); his grandchild, Mary Jeanne Brenholts (Felipe Avalos Robres); and his longtime companion, Helen McCool who made his golden years golden. His is buried next to his late wife Jeanne at Jefferson. Send condolences post-gazette.com/gb
