Ewald R. Blatter

On the halcyon morning of October 28, 2026 Ewald (E - Wal – Wally) R. Blatter 84, passed away peacefully with family at his side leaving behind a profound legacy of community service, business leadership, mentorship, and devotion to his family.

Wal was born October 1, 1942 in Buffalo, NY, son of the late Ewald O. and Wilhelmina (Kimmel) Blatter. He married his high school sweetheart, Doris in 1967 and was a devoted husband of 59 years, brother, uncle, father, papa, and friend.

After graduating from Neumann Catholic High School in 1960, Wal began his college education, taking night courses at Bryant & Stratton Business Institute. He went on to the University of Buffalo (UB) where he graduated in 1967 with a Bachelor of Science. He was a sports writer for both UB Campus newspapers and was instrumental in WBFO’s original “sports programming” becoming the station’s first sports director. As a “Voice of the Bulls” he called the play-by-play for baseball, basketball and football from 1963-1967. He worked with the late Van Miller and was offered to be a color analyst with the Buffalo Bills. In 1994 Wal was appointed by President Bill Greiner to serve on the advisory committee to assist UB in its transition to D1. He was later inducted into the “UB Athletics Hall of Fame” in 2014.

Wal spent his high school and college years working at Park Country Club. He started out as a bus boy, was promoted to waiter, to Manager’s Aid, to Locker Room Superintendent, and moved all the way up to Assistant Manager in 1966. The board offered him a scholarship to continue his college education in hopes that he would stay and work to become Manager of the Club.

On February 22, 1967 (2-22) he founded Finger Lakes Chemicals, Inc. (FLC), followed by Castle Products, Inc. in 1970, Blatter’s Inc. in 1986 and American Corridor in 1994.

Some highlights from Wal’s business timeline include:

   · 1969 - 2-22 All Purpose Cleaner introduced

   · 1984 - Founded Mega Clean to clean up the inner loop and can of worms in Rochester, NY

   · 1999 - Environmental Award from Erie County, NY to FLSC for Lowering County Pollution Levels

   · 2000 - Award from Monroe County Environmental Council

   · 2014 - Finger Lakes Castle wins “Best of Rochester Award” in the Specialty Cleaning Category

Wal enjoyed life, serving as a volunteer coach for baseball and soccer for all three of his children in R-H, HFL and Mendon. He founded “Youth Baseball Week” for Section V in 1986 and was inducted into the Section V Baseball Hall of Fame in 2012 for his dedication to “Youth Sports”.

After a quadruple heart bypass in 1988, he devoted his life to writing and helping children. Wal was a Faith Formation Teacher at Good Shepherd for over 25 years. Throughout a distinguished creative journey, he produced an impressive body of work under the pen name E.A. Messenger, earning eleven prestigious Awards between 2008 and 2019 for excellence in digital media, video, and audio production. Some of his productions are highlighted below:

   · 2010 - The Four Horsemen at JCC Hart Theatre

   · 2015 - Our Good Shepherd at the Rochester Fringe Festival Lyric Theatre

   · 2018 - The Garden at The Auditorium Theatre Center

   · 2019 - The Ark at the Rochester Fringe Festival Avyarium

   · 2024 - The Fifth Horseman at the Rochester Fringe Festival JCC Hart Theatre

   · 2025 - Whelmed! at the Rochester Fringe Festival Downtown United Presbyterian Church

Wal’s passion for writing was deeply inspired by his childhood admiration for the works of Mark Twain. He wrote a story and entered into Buffalo and the Erie County Public Library’s International Mark Twain Writing Competition earning honorable mention in 2001.

He loved family, golf and working in his yard. He was proud to join Oak Hill Country Club in 1991 and spent many years playing in the Wednesday Night League, Twilight League, League of the Iroquois, and with the Lunch Bunch. Later he joined the New York Seniors Golf Association and was President from 2008-2011. His yard was his true oasis; he valued teaching others to respect and appreciate nature and all of its uniqueness. Wal was the 2004 “Conservationist of the Year” for the Monroe County Soil and Water Conservation District. He was acknowledged for his outstanding efforts in promoting natural resource conservation locally and internationally, as well as for his dedicated support and advancement of conservation education. One of his life’s works was creating “Blatter’s Natural Wildlife Preserve” -a legacy where his family can always find peace.

He is survived by his wife, Doris Blatter (Wilcocks); his son Hans (Tracey) Blatter, and his daughters, Robin (Bill) Egan, Nikki (Martin) Glende. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Julia Blatter, E. Christian Blatter, Aiden Blatter, Corinne Egan, Kristen Egan, Charlotte Glende, Victoria Glende, Joshua Glende; his sisters, Tina Blatter; Kathleen Knospe; as well as his beloved brothers and sisters-in law, nieces and nephews.

A gathering of friends and family will be held at Good Shepherd Hall, 3288 E. Henrietta Road, Henrietta, NY on Saturday, November 28th at 11:00am, with a Celebration of Life to follow at Wild Wood Country Club, 1201 Rush West Rush Road, Rush, NY from 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm.

Wal lived an efflorescent life. Per one of Wal’s last wishes, in lieu of flowers, please plant a tree or flower. Genesis 1:11 “Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.’ And it was so.”