Walter Michael Bortz III

Walter Michael Bortz III, 79, of Charleston, South Carolina, husband of Lorraine V. Bortz, entered into eternal rest Friday, November 10, 2023. His memorial service will be held Saturday, November 18, 2023, at Circular Congregational Church, 150 Meeting St, Charleston, SC 29401 at 10:00 AM.  An additional memorial service, to be announced, will be held at College Church at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia.
 
Walter was born October 10, 1944, in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, son of the late Dr. Donald Worcester Bortz and Virginia Patton Bortz. After attending The Kiski School, Walter earned his B.S. in Biology at Bethany College, where he began his career in college admissions. 

Walter held administrative positions at Bethany College, Texas Christian University, and East Carolina University. In 1985, he became the Vice President for Institutional Advancement at the University of Hartford in West Hartford, Connecticut. He was also Acting Vice President for Student Services and Executive Director of Admissions and Student Financial Assistance at Hartford. In 1989, he became the Vice President for Administrative and Information Services at The George Washington University in DC. In July 2000, he was named President of Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia. During his tenure there, he achieved noteworthy successes including increasing the size of the student body, leading the largest fundraising campaign in the College’s history, and enhancing the College’s physical spaces to include the construction of the Everett Stadium and a library that today, more than 15 years after its completion, is consistently ranked by Princeton Review as one of the finest college libraries in the United States. The surprise naming of the facility as the Walter M. Bortz III Library at his final commencement ceremony is a testament to his devoted efforts to make such an extraordinary resource a reality for students. 

Walter had a wonderful voice and sang in choirs for most of his life.  He enjoyed making music, and beach vacations with his family.
 
In addition to his wife Lorraine, he is survived by his son Walt (Larissa) and his daughter Cathy (David), and grandchildren Virginia (Corey), Eve, Nathan, and Lillian, and his brothers Donald (Emily) and Peter (Trina).
 
Memorials may be made to Circular Congregational Church in Charleston, SC.