COL Walter S. Kulbacki USA (Retired)Cullum: 25704 Class: 1965 Cadet Company: C1 Date of Birth: June 16, 1942 Date of Death: March 6, 2024 - View or Post a Eulogy Interred: Cremated. West Point Cemetery, West Point, NY |
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Walter Stanley Kulbacki was born in Boston, MA on June 16, 1942, the first of two sons born to Lucille and Stanley Kulbacki. Walt grew up in and around the Boston area attending Randolph Public Schools before heading off to Boston Latin School for his high school years. Walt always enjoyed playing sports and made lifelong friends in the process. Along the way he was also very active in Boy Scouts, where he became an Eagle Scout and received the Order of the Arrow. While attending Boston Latin, Walt continued to excel in both academics and sports. After graduating with honors from Boston Latin, Walt spent a year at Northeastern University before receiving appointments to both the U.S. Naval Academy and West Point. Walt entered West Point and became a member of the Class of 1965.
Walt embraced West Point, where he excelled in both academics and athletics. Duty, Honor, Country were words Walt lived by, both in the military and in civilian life. As he always did, Walt enjoyed the rigors of academics and, of course, sports, especially baseball. Walt was also a member of the Rocket Club. In his sophomore year he attended a trip with the club to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL, and it is here that he met Catherine O’Keefe, soon to be his bride and lifelong companion.
Upon graduation from West Point, Walt was commissioned into the Army and stationed at Fort Bragg, NC with the 82nd Airborne Division. Before reporting to Fort Bragg, he attended both Airborne and Ranger schools, earning his airborne wings and Ranger Tab. While at Airborne School, Walt shared a week of training with his future father-in law, Colonel John O’Keefe, Class of 1940. After Airborne and Ranger schools, Walt returned to Fort Bragg and the 82nd Signal Battalion, where he served as a platoon leader and a company commander.
Cathy and Walt were married on June 11, 1966 at Redstone Arsenal and returned to Fort Bragg after their honeymoon. In December, Walt received orders for Vietnam. Walt served in Qui Nhon, Vietnam with the 41st Signal Battalion before heading back home to the Signal Corps Officer Advanced Course at Fort Monmouth, NJ. After the advanced course, it was off to graduate school at Purdue University, where Walt earned his graduate degree in electrical engineering. While at Purdue, Cathy and Walt welcomed their two children: Michael was born in July 1969, and Pamela joined the family in March 1971.
Following graduate school in 1971, Walt served as project manager for AACOMS from 1971 to 1973 at Fort Huachuca, AZ. Then it was off to Fort Leavenworth, KS and the Command and General Staff College. From Kansas it was back to West Point, where Walt was the Signal officer in the Office of Military Instruction from 1974 to 1977. West Point was an assignment both Cathy and Walt thoroughly enjoyed. From West Point, he was assigned to the 51st Signal Battalion, located at Camp Pililaau, Korea, where he served as the executive officer and assistant G-3 of I Corps.
In 1978 Walt became program manager for the Army Communications and GPS Program in Washington, DC. Once over the sticker shock of housing in the Northern Virginia area, they settled in and enjoyed all the opportunities that area had to offer. In 1980 Walt became the battalion commande
Walt’s life was defined by dedication, both to his country and his loved ones. After his time in Germany, he returned to the Washington, DC area and attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at Fort McNair, DC. His path eventually led him back to Fort McNair in 1986, when he assumed command of the 1101st Signal Brigade. In what would be his final military assignment, Walt served as deputy director for the Defense Information Services Agency, overseeing networks and major programs that supported the Department of Defense and the president.
After his retirement in 1992, Walt transitioned to the private sector, founding his own consulting firm, WK Global Solutions. His expertise and leadership left a lasting impact, but even greater was his passion for his family. As a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, he cherished the time he spent with those closest to him. Walt and his soulmate, Cathy, shared a lifetime of adventures, creating precious memories while traveling and enjoying time with friends and family. Walt also had a lifelong affinity for sports, particularly tennis and golf. He loved the thrill of competition and embraced every challenge with enthusiasm, both on and off the field. Walt is deeply missed, but his legacy lives on in the hearts of his family: his beloved wife, Cathy; his son, Michael (April) Kulbacki; his daughter, Pamela (Richard) Elder; and his cherished grandchildren: Conner, Davis, and Sevigne; and his brother, Jim (Cate) Kulbacki.
— Cathy Kulbacki and Family