Walter Briant

[Ken Andrews]

This just in from Rome...

Walter Briant is in Cedars Sinai hospital, with serious medical complications. Rome reports that Walt has abdominal bleeding and the doctors can't stop it. While we haven't seen Walt much around the flight park recently, he's been a long-time hang glider pilot, both in Hawaii and in Southern California. Walt may be transported to Hawaii so that he can be closer to family. Our thoughts are with him.

If you have stories to share about Walt, let's hear them!

[lswendt]

Walt is being air lifted to Hawaii this evening. His contact info there is:

2381 Kipuka Street
Koloa, HI 96756

(808) 742-6523

I'm sure Walt and his family would welcome our support at this difficult time.

Aloha Walt!

lw

[Groundhog]

Walter loved to join our Hurricane road trips to Utah, where he is a go-for-it wild and crazy guy always in the middle of the fun. Yardley and I were always keeping an eye on him and picking up his stuff as he zoomed from one adventure to the next on these trips.

I am yet to met a guy more ready to have fun than Walter, and he is a civil engineer who co-owns an consulting firm in Hawaii!

He is older than dirt -- my old man and he used to team on engineering design projects.

Mahalo Walter.

[DrJeff]

I did not know Walt well, but he was a consistently cheerful, kind, and upbeat guy, always decent to everyone. I really enjoyed flying with him! So glad he gets to go home. My prayers are with you Walt!

Dr. Jeff

[gregangsten]

I don't have any great stories about Walt, I just love the guy and I've been afraid this was coming. Maybe a month ago several of us were sitting around in the LZ joking, laughing as it began to get dark. And he was doing a lot of the joking, talking about doing carrier landings and as cheerful as ever. But even as I watched him laughing and admired his fortitude, I thought I saw something different, like he was beginning to slip. I got to know him on a fun time we had when he rode with my wife and me out to Hurricane a few years ago. He kept drinking a bizarre green herbal concoction that he carried with him, one of an arsenal of little weapons he used to keep one step ahead of the disease that kept stalking him. But that day in the LZ I could see him begin to slow and his pursuer begin to catch up. Walter has been one of the jewels in this little club. God bless you, buddy.

[Groundhog]

I just spoke with Walter. He is mentally strong and in good spirt, but in pain with difficulty breathing, and says he would like to wrap everything up and get it over with.

He is getting a morphine drip installed today.

[Dana L. Tew]

just my luck I got to go to hawaii for three weeeks when Walt and Carolann went to China. even thier pets are great. Igot to know how great they really are. the people of Kauai think of them as heros. Carolann and i went to aquasize classes, i met so many fun people at the fun-raiser. between cocerts and gardens, dog parks and beachs I never knew life could slow down and still be fun. Thank you both, for putting a little sugar-cane and coffee in my life.stay safe and fly high, driver dana

[Lynn McLaughlin]

He shared his humor -- and his food. I still have one of the lids to one of his camping pots. Walter brought much to us and left many things behind... like good friends and warmth, humor and good times.

He is dear to me. One day, I will grow up and be as cool as Walter.

[lswendt]

Arthur Simoneau told me this evening that Walt passed away last night.

Words cannot express my sorrow at this loss for his family.

lw

[Cindy]

I was just dancing with Walter at Rob's party. Mojo Boogie is our song. It's going to be hard to listen to for a while.

[Joseph]

I didn' t know Walter well having only met him a few times, but I had an occasion recently to ride up the hill with him recently. He spoke about his life and career. He worked on city contracts as an independent contractor building water tanks and on other engineering related projects. He said that allowed him to do the things that he loved in life. That the things in life that were important to him were friends and family and having the time to participate in life. He chose his work because it allowed him that freedom.

It is sad thing to see him go.

[jcflies]

arguing with greblo about politics, being harassed by phill about bleeding all over the place (remotely akin to, "if it takes three people to load the driver into the car, maybe another driver should be chosen?") refusing a helicopter ride after smacking--this is a unique and cherished man; these are unique and cherished moments in a dying (for whatever insane reasons) sport. i said it before, they just don't make men like the senile t-shirt wearers anymore...

viva walt!!!

viva hang gliding!!!

[skygeek AKA Seabass]

I really liked Walter he was fun, he reminded me of a soul stuck in the 60s, even though his boby was done his mind seemed like it was in party mode.
For those of you who did not know Walter served our country he was in the Air Force & use to fly WW2 fighters & the Air Forces first jet fighter the Saber. He had great stories, the one I remember the most was when he had to crash land a WW2 Corsair in a corn field because of mechanical problems.
I will miss him & call out his name on those 10K plus days, or maybe he can help a brotha out on those oh shit I am really low days.

[JT]

Would everyone please take a close look at the photo I used for Walt on the Member Photos page. If you recognize it as yours or know its origin and a high resolution image can be found, please forward it to me or directly to Carol Ann, Walt's wife at:

carolanndavis@hawaii.rr.com

I sent her the image I captured from somewhere and she would appreciate a better file to create a large format print.

[Groundhog]

I took the photo in question on the first day of the 2004 Hurricane trip. It was on the hills directly above the town of Hurricane, Utah.

I asked Water to point up in the sky like he saw a glider, and as he did he shot me that goofy grin like he thought I was out of my mind.

It has been on this website since 2004 -- you can seen it in "Grant's Gallery" photo number 24.

http://www.shga.com/gallery/#

I have sent the original to Carol Ann.

[Groundhog]

Walter Louis Briant, Jr. passed away peacefully at his home in Koloa, Kauai, on November 21st in the company of family and close friends. He had become progressively ill with multiple myeloma (cancer of stem cells) and was not able to recover from injuries sustained on Sept. 7 from a hang gliding accident in California.

Walter had an ever-present passion for aerodynamics. In recent years, he was referred to as “the oldest living windsurfer…� his favorite spot being Mahaulepu Beach. He traveled to Maui and Sylmar, California, to hang glide “alongside the birds.� For him, walking meant frolicking, and he would sometimes jump up and click his heels before landing. Walt will long be remembered for his playful attitude, spirited conversations and for being an inspiring mentor… sharp, perceptive, a humanist. To quote a friend, he was … “wind under our wings.�

Walter was born on April 20, 1929, in San Francisco, California, to Jennie and Walter Briant Sr. Growing up a star athlete, he was an award-winning swimmer, held the high hurdle record in the Modesto Relays for years, and at age 16 made his first solo airplane flight. At the University of California, Berkeley, he was most proud of having beaten the famous Olympian, Bob Mathias. Walter would have become an Olympic contender in track & field but instead, he became active in the Navcom program and became a flying midshipman, serving in the Korean War. He returned to University of California in 1953 to earn a Mechanical Engineering degree.

By 1960, after moving to Kauai with his wife Sandi, Walter began working for the newly formed Kauai Department of Water as its first manager and chief engineer, a post he kept for twenty years. During that time, he oversaw the building of Kauai’s present water systems. In 1981, he founded Briant Construction, Inc. and was instrumental in forming Aqua Engineers, together with President Ian Kagemoto, Seichi Oyama, and Frank Keiger. For more than twenty years, he remained active in the two companies as their licensed, professional engineer

It was 30 years ago that Walter married his “best friend� Carol Ann Davis, a professional photographer and outstanding visual artist. They traveled extensively to such places as China, Australia, Most of Europe, Africa, Cambodia, Thailand, Canada, Japan, Greece, New Zealand and last summer he went hang gliding in Umbria, Italy with members of the Dutch and Italian teams.

Walter served as President of many organizations including the Hawaii State Water Works Association, Kauai Chamber of Commerce, Kauai Community College Advisory Board, and Kauai Branch of the American Heart Association. He was a founding member of Hale Opio, a youth rehabilitation organization. Since 2007, as a member of the Kauai County Charter Commission, he strongly advocated for a professional County management position instead of a mayoral form of government. Walter hoped to have the County Manger Initiative placed on the ballot for the people of Kauai to decide.

Surviving are his wife Carol Ann Davis-Briant; step-children Norman (Mollene) LeGoullon, David (Shells) LeGoullon, Michele (Calvin) Speegle; grandchildren Michael, John, Chelsea, Bret, Ryan, Tyler and Brendon LeGoullon, Blayne, Shaun and Kristopher Speegle; and three great-grandchildren; and Walter’s sister Gail (Charles) Pilliter, his brother-in-law Dick (Sue) Davis, nieces & nephews Sean and Aaron Klepper, Amber, Shannon and Randy Davis.

Donations may be made in Walter Briant’s memory to: Malama Mahaulepu, POB 658, Koloa HI 96756. According to his wishes, in lieu of services, everyone is invited to a celebration of life party which will be held on December 13 at the Kekaha Boat House from 4 to 10pm. For information about the celebration, calls may be made to Michelle Emura at Briant Construction. SHGA members are welcome.

http://www.kauaiworld.com/

[cawalt]

Thank you all for your kind words about my wonderful husband. He was a very special guy. We were together for 40 years and it is a loss I am afraid I will not be able to get over. I am presently in California with the youngest son who is recovering after almost dying at the same time Walter was dying. He is out of the hospital after a month on life support and though still on oxygen, is getting better every day..

We had a wonderful celebration for Walter on December 13th with great food, projected slides on the tent roof and his favorite rock and roll band. It was what he wanted.

I will come to California sometime in 2009 to sprinkle Walter's ashes at Sylmar hopefully from the air. I plan to sprinkle the rest in the ocean at Mahaulepu, the place he went windsurfing and his favorite spot in the world. I appreciate everyone who befriended Walter. He loved all of you and you made him feel so welcome. Please do not hesitate to call me and come by to visit if you are on our island, Kauai.




Carol Ann Davis-Briant
"Walter Briant's best friend and wife"
808-742-6523, 742-2111