Walter Lee Loope

Munising

Walter Lee Loope (1947-2026)

Walter Lee Loope, age 79, died Tuesday, February 10, 2026, in Munising, MI. He was born on February 5, 1947, in Portsmouth, Virginia, to Lloyd Lee and Alice Elizabeth (Smith) Loope and grew up near Bluemont, Virginia. After graduation from Clarke County High School (VA) in 1965, Walt received a BS in Botany from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1969. He received his Masters Degree (1972) and Ph.D. (1977) from Utah State University, studying ecology and range science. During those years Walt was a seasonal ranger at Canyonlands National Park. While working in southeastern Utah, he met Lora Moon, his future wife of 47 years. Together they raised their daughter and son.

Walt worked as a range conservationist for the White River National Forest (CO) and Manti-LaSal National Forest (UT) and, in 1982, for Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (MI) as a resource management specialist and later as a research ecologist. There he initiated and collaborated with others on several projects that contributed to the scientific knowledge and understanding of the park’s natural features and resources. These included Peregrine Falcon reintroduction, breeding bird surveys, Anishnaabe fire history of Miners Basin, a soil survey, vegetation monitoring, fishery surveys, inland lake studies, large mammal survey, and the relationship between the Grand Sable Dunes and lake level changes of Lake Superior over millennia. He led the effort to gain the landmark designation of the Grand Sable Dunes as a Natural Research Area. As a research ecologist he was transferred to the U.S. Geological Survey in 1993, remaining in Munising and continuing his investigation of dunes, Lake Superior’s lake level changes, and glacial retreat. Walt was an author of numerous scientific publications, including with his son, Henry, and other colleagues well into retirement. He was an enthusiastic mentor to younger professionals, generously sharing his knowledge and insights. Walt was a member of the Geological Society of America and a participant in the Friends of the Pleistocene field trips.

Walt enjoyed hiking, backpacking, and camping with family since childhood. He served on the Board of Education of Munising Public Schools for 31 years and coached Peoples State Bank’s Little League team for many years. He was an avid reader and a member of the Shelter Bay Book Club. With any mention of his family, sand dunes, baseball, or Bob Dylan’s songs, his smile lit up the room. Family mattered the most. A longtime friend observed, “He was someone who astutely watched the land. He attended to detail, not only to the landscape, but also to family and friends. Curiosity and baseball were his games, and with the tenacity of a catcher and scientist, he didn’t miss much.”

Walt is survived by his wife, Lora; his children Hannah Loope (Andy Warner) of Burlington, VT and Henry Loope (Amy Reeves) of Bloomington, IN; his brother, David (Cindy) Loope of Lincoln, NE; his sister Amy (Jim) White of Mount Vernon, IA; his sister-in-law Keri Duke Loope of Kula, Maui, HI; and his brother-in-law John (Helena) Moon of Skead, Ontario, Canada; his grandchildren Alice and August Warner and Atticus, Amelia, and Tennyson Reeves; and beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins. Walt was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Lloyd Lee Loope, Jr., and his daughter-in-law Jennifer Erin Schmitz.

He chose a green burial at Marquette’s Park Cemetery under the direction of Bowerman’s Funeral Home. A celebration of Walt’s life will be held at Valley Spur Lodge near Munising on Friday, June 19, 2026. The family will receive relatives and friends from 10:00 to noon. A memorial service will begin at noon with a reception to follow.

Donations in Walt’s memory may be made to the Alger Regional Community Foundation or Munising School Public Library.

The family is grateful for the compassionate staff at MediLodge of Munising, Brookridge Heights Memory Care of Marquette, and Bowerman’s Funeral Home.