Rabbi Roy Allen Walter

After a lifetime of incomparable service to congregation, community, and family, Rabbi Roy Allen Walter died peacefully at home surrounded by loved ones on November 9, 2025. He was 83.

Roy was born on June 7, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee, and graduated from Central High School. While attending Tulane University, he debated between pursuing a professorship in English or a professional dance career, both well within reach. Instead, influenced heavily by his mentor, the late Rabbi Robert I. Kahn, he took a divinely inspired turn and attended Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion. Following his rabbinic ordination in 1970, Rabbi Walter settled in his beloved adopted hometown of Houston, joining Congregation Emanu El as Assistant Rabbi. He rose to Associate Rabbi in 1974, was installed as Senior Rabbi in 1978, and led the congregation for 33 years before becoming Rabbi Emeritus upon his retirement in 2011.

Shortly before his ordination, Roy was introduced on a blind date to Linda Cohn. They married in 1972, and for 43 years Linda was his partner in life and cherished rebbetzin of Emanu El. Roy and Linda raised three children, instilling in them the values of family, education, and community service.

The Hebrew word rabbi means teacher, a role Rabbi Walter embraced wholeheartedly. At Emanu El, he taught Confirmation classes across generations, and for over 20 years he led a weekly Torah class with a dedicated group of lifelong learners. He was also on the faculty of the University of St. Thomas, where he taught Introduction to Judaism.

Rabbi Walter’s leadership extended to local and national organizations across the Jewish community and beyond. He served on the board of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) and was president of its Southwest Association. Among his work with other organizations too numerous to mention, he served on the boards of the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston and the Alexander Jewish Family Service. Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston held a special place in his heart; he served as President and later as an Honorary Lifetime Board member, remaining active throughout his rabbinate. He was also heavily involved in the founding and continued support of Greene Family Camp, which serves Reform Jewish youth in Texas and Oklahoma.

Rabbi Walter didn’t limit his service to conference rooms; he went where he was needed. In the mid-1980s, when the AIDS epidemic ravaged the gay community in Houston and across the country, he stepped forward when many stepped back, visiting and comforting countless patients and their families. Together with congregants, he formed Caring Congregation to match people in need with congregants eager and able to provide support. He also worked tirelessly to fight food insecurity, raising funds for the Houston Food Bank and the Congregation Emanu El Hunger Fund.

A lover of the English language and a fastidious grammarian, Rabbi Walter was an accomplished writer—not just of countless sermons, but of books, poetry, and prose. He wrote or contributed to several contemporary services for Emanu El, including A Time to Pray, A Confession for Our Time, and It’s Better to Be Better. With his close friend and colleague Rabbi Barton Lee, he co‑authored My Prayers, a bedtime children’s prayer book. Beyond Emanu El, Rabbi Walter was a contributor to Gates of Prayer for Young People, the CCAR’s official youth prayer book. On a personal level, Roy never missed an opportunity to lovingly correct an unsuspecting transgressor’s dangling participle. His favorite book was the Dictionary, preferably unabridged.

Roy’s private passions were as diverse as his professional achievements. A lover of the creative arts and an artist himself, Roy had many gifts. He was a talented dancer, whether tap dancing his way across the stage or doing the jitterbug at a wedding reception with his wife Linda. He also loved working with his hands; needlepoint, weaving, and beading were his favorite crafts. While his creations could have fetched top dollar, he had little interest in selling them and instead took joy in giving them away to family and friends. A lover of classical music, Roy was a long-time season ticket holder to both the Houston Ballet and Houston Symphony Orchestra. Roy’s passion for tennis was legendary, as both a player and a fan … particularly of Björn Borg and Roger Federer.

Rabbi Walter was beloved in his community. He will be missed by each and every person with whom he shared his advice, his company, and his friendship. So much more could be said of his accomplishments and contributions, but he wasn’t interested in recognition or notoriety. When recently asked about his achievements, he commented, “I don’t keep track of all that; I just remember loving having done it.”

Rabbi Walter is preceded in death by his parents Abe and Goldie Walter and by his wife Linda Cohn Walter. He is survived by his children Benjamin and Kelly Walter, Michel Walter and Jason Hyde, and Aaron Walter and Michael Kinsley, and by his grandchildren Ethan and Hannah Walter.

Rabbi Walter’s family expresses their heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Maria Zarzour and her team at MD Anderson Cancer Center for helping him beat the odds for so many years; to his caregivers from Premiere Care Solutions, especially Sean Williams and Alex Prado, for their devoted care during his final weeks; and to Houston Hospice for their compassion and expertise when both were most needed.

A memorial service will be held in Houston on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. at Congregation Emanu El, 1500 Sunset Boulevard. Donations in memory of Rabbi Walter may be made to the Rabbi Roy & Linda Walter Enrichment Fund at Congregation Emanu El https://www.emanuelhouston.org/give/ and to the Houston Food Bank https://www.houstonfoodbank.org/.