Walter Kormylo, 96 years old, of Kenosha, WI passed away Tuesday, October 3, 2023, at Hospice Alliance Hospice House, Pleasant Prairie, WI.
He was born December 8, 1926, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, the son of the late John and Dorothy Kormylo. At age four, he first set foot on the ice, and it was a connection that was never to be broken. Walter, known as “Coach Wally,” to most (dad, grandpa and great-grandpa to others) told stories of spending more time on the ice as a child than he should have…often hiding injuries from his Ukrainian immigrant parents, so they didn’t know he had been foregoing other responsibilities to play pond hockey with his friends.
Coach Wally came to the United States to join his brother Steve when he was 20 years old. He received his citizenship by joining the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War and soon after found himself coaching the U.S. Air Force Academy hockey team. In addition to coaching hockey, Wally’s early days in the U.S. included doing a stint in a traveling ice show where he jumped barrels and performed other tricks on his skates. This is also where he met his wife of 68 years, Darlene.
After marrying Darlene in 1955, they settled in the Chicago area and started their family. While Wally taught at most ice rinks in the Chicagoland area, the two that he spent most of his career at were Centennial Ice Rink in Highland Park and the Glenview Ice Arena. Wally was the first rink manager of Centennial Ice Arena when it opened in the early 70’s and ran the hockey program for the Highland Park Leafs. The 80’s brought Coach Wally to another local arena – the Glenview Ice Arena where he built the hockey program for over a decade until ultimately coming back to Centennial Ice Arena where he finished his career with the Falcons Hockey Association.
While Coach Wally’s career could take up several pages, some of the highlights are: Power skating coach for the Chicago Blackhawks, Head coach of the Korean American National hockey team, Power skating coach for AHIHA, Hockey Director for the Highland Park Leafs, Glenview Stars and the Falcons Hockey Association, Head coach for Chicago Minor Hawks, 75 summers running hockey camps throughout the U.S. and Canada, including 20+ years with Turcotte Hockey Camps, power skating instructor for teams throughout the Chicagoland area as well as several east coast prep schools and Canadian minor league teams.
In addition, Coach Wally has been honored by many hockey organizations and governing bodies, some of which include Illinois Hockey Hall of Fame, Class of 2005, Lifetime Achievement Award for amateur hockey in Illinois, The Gunzo Trophy awarded by AHIHA in 1989, The Falcons Hockey Association Hall of Fame for 60 years of coaching, The William Thayer Tutt award from USA Hockey, Countless division and state championships.
Coach Wally will be missed throughout the hockey universe, but he would want all of his students to carry on his legacy and “Skate Fast. Skate Hard. Have Fun.”
Survivors include his wife of 68 years, Darlene; five children, Kent (Marci) Kormylo of Eden, UT, Debi (Rod) Wilhelmi of Sugar Grove, IL, Sandee (John) Reinwald of Highwood, IL, Rodger (Peggy) Kormylo of Kenosha, WI and Craig (Mara) Kormylo of Evergreen, CO; son-in-law, John Mohring of Kenosha, WI; 14 grandchildren, Kristen, Karon, (Dustin), Walter, Tara, Louie (Jaime), Charlie, Alec (Jena), Bridgette, Toni, Nick, Cam (Maddy), Katie, Macy, and Reese; 13 great-grandchildren, Lilly, Olivia, Rocky, Micah, Sophia, Fiona, Victor, Sophia, Layla, Mia, Isla, Jameson and Lena; and many nieces, nephews, and extended family members.
In addition to his parents, Coach Wally was preceded in death by a daughter, Shari Mohring; and eight siblings.
Public visitation will be held from 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 26, 2023, at Proko Funeral Home. A private prayer service will be held at 9:15 a.m. on Friday, October 27, 2023, at the funeral home, processing to St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church for a 10:00 a.m. memorial mass of Christian Burial. Entombment will follow in All Saints Mausoleum, Pleasant Prairie, WI. In lieu of flowers, those desiring may make contributions to the GoFundMe that has been established for Coach Wally’s widow, Darlene (https://gofund.me/059b40f3) or to AHIHA (American Hearing Impaired Hockey Association) at https://ahiha.org/donations/donate/, in his name.
