Local artist, Walter W. Coe, passed away on December 2 at 1:55 a.m. following a long illness.  

Walt who was known for his abstract painting style, moved to Excelsior Springs, Missouri from North Carolina in 2009. Born in San Francisco, CA on September 23, 1950, Walt was raised outside of New York City in Westchester County. He attended Columbia University and The School of Visual Arts in New York, N.Y.  He studied Art History in Florence, Italy and worked at the Neuberger Museum, Purchase N.Y., The North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, N.C. and The Asheville Museum of Art, Asheville N.C.  He was also associated with The Lakeland Arts Center in Littleton, N.C.  He taught in the Halifax County, N.C. schools, and was a member and Vice President of the Halifax County Arts Council.  He established a hand-painted clothing business in the 1980s.  His paintings have been in private collections on the East Coast and locally as well, formerly in The Artisan and Bohemian Sage Galleries and at Gatsby Days exhibits. 

An avid reader, Walt especially loved biographies and various historical subjects, including the Titanic and Lusitania; the Romanov family; and architecture and interior design, to name a few. 

Walt was preceded in death by his twin brother Frederick (Ricky) Coe on January 23, 2021, brothers Chuck and Paul Coe, and by his parents, Frederick and Zita Coe. He is survived by sisters Betty Coe, Maureen Martinez and Michelle Ronshausen; cousin, Martha Christman; nephews and nieces, grand nieces and nephews; and his beloved dog, Annie.