Walter Francis Earles, 89, of South Charleston, Ohio, passed away on Saturday, August 29, 2026, at Dayton VA Medical Center, Dayton, OH.

He was born on July 17, 1937, in Windsor Township, Lawrence County, Ohio to Willard McKinley and Flora (Craig) Earles, both deceased. He was the sixth of eleven children. He joined the Army and on September 7, 1958, he married Rose Marie Leeth. To this union five children were born;

Teresa Marie, Kimberly Kay, Jeffrey Steven, Kevin Michael, and Brian McKinley. He later married Nancy C. (Blair) Withrow and subsequently JoAnn Williams) Craig, with whom he shared 26 years of marriage before her death. All three preceded him in death.

Walter was 17 years old when he joined the Army in London, OH in 1954 and served two enlistments in the United States Army during the Cold War. He was a member of the 3rd Armored Division, famously nicknamed the "Spearhead" Division, and was Stationed in Germany, and later served as a guard at Fort Knox, Kentucky. After his military service, he worked at Cudahy Cheese Packing Factory in Washington Court House, OH, then he moved to Springfield, Ohio and became the district manager for McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants in the area. He and his wife, Rose, purchased the Hot Diggidy Donut Shops and had three shops in the Springfield area and one in South Charleston, OH. At one time, he and his son Kevin worked together providing valet parking service in downtown Springfield. Walter also managed an apartment complex on the south side of Springfield and even managed several heavyweight wrestlers such as Zebra Kid, Sunshine Man, and the Convict in the International Wrestling Association. Walt was known to members of the wrestling community as Magnificent Waldo - "Manager of Champions." Walter became a dedicated Christian and ministered in various capacities in independent Pentecostal churches.

He is survived by his daughter, Teresa Marie McCullough (Shannon), of Chillicothe, OH, and two sons; Jeffrey Steven (Madge) of Urbana, OH, and Brian McKinley (Trisha) of South Charleston, OH; 3 siblings, Darlene Sue (Bobby) Pepper of Washington Court House, OH, Everett Junior Earles (Jan) of Springfield, OH and Diana Lynn Eastes (Bud) of New Vienna, OH, and numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, nephews and nieces. He is preceded in death by his daughter, Kimberly Belford, and son Kevin Earles (Sheri); siblings, Clyde Emerson, Clarence Wesley, Charles Forrest, Cecil Everett, Paul Thomas, Dolly Marie Williamson, and Alice Faye Rude.

Special recognition and gratitude is given to his niece, Mrs. Susan Fenters, who visited and watched over him daily for four years and then cared for him full-time in his home during the last four months of his battle with cancer.