OBITUARY

Walter E. Gleckler, a longtime Orange Coast College music professor

who also taught marine activities classes, died of cancer at his Seal

Beach home Thursday. He was 72.

Gleckler joined OCC’s music department in 1961 as director of choral

music. He also taught music theory and voice classes and was vocal

director for a number of OCC summer musical productions. He served as

president of the Orange County Music Educators Assn. in 1962 and 1963.

After his retirement in 1986, Gleckler taught sailing classes. An avid

sailor himself, Gleckler took a year of sabbatical leave in 1974, when he

completed a 10,000-mile voyage to the South Pacific with his family on

board their boat, named Tradition.

On his return, Gleckler started the Sailing Adventure Series and had

remained the program’s director for 20 years.

Born in Long Beach, Gleckler earned his bachelor’s degree in music

from the University of Redlands and a master’s degree in music from Cal

State Long Beach. He also served in the Air Force immediately after World

War II and spent time as a radio operator in Japan and the Philippines.

He was a member of numerous organizations, including the American

Choral Directors Assn., the Southern California Vocal Assn., the Music

Assn. of California Community Colleges and the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club.

Gleckler is survived by his wife, Anna; three children; 10

grandchildren; and two stepdaughters.