Our family sadly lost one of a kind. Walter Joseph Kras, Jr. was a caring and loving husband, father, brother, uncle and friend. He passed away unexpectedly on September 27, 2023, at age 63. He is survived, and will be loved and remembered, by his wife Deborah, two beautiful daughters Meredith and Dana, and his four older sisters.

Walter, fondly known as Wally, was the youngest of the five children of Walter Joseph Sr. and Katherine Kras and a life-long resident of New Haven. He was born and grew up in the house his family built in the 1920s and that his daughters currently live in. Everything Wally did, he did for his family, there was never a dull moment when he was around. Wally was a loving and devoted husband, the ultimate girl dad, and created a family bond that will never be broken. He built a wonderful life in New Haven filled with cherished memories.

Wally was well known for his mechanical expertise, being a team Giants super fan, a go-kart racing champion, his passion for camping, and his giving and fun personality. He was a man of many talents from running the Fleet Operations at Nelson’s Ambulance, Access Ambulance and Connecticut Handivan for over 20 years , working for AMR and Petro, to his side hustles where you might find him working on cars in his custom-built garage or at the track managing his successful go-kart parts business.

His love for his family was always his priority but his love for food, fun and bringing people together was a close second. During football season weekends, the house was all about the game and great food. Everything was kicked up a notch when the Giants played as well as Penn State, his wife and daughter’s alma mater. On Sundays during racing season, you could find him racing kart #62 at the go-kart track. He was the original “happy camper” and made camping fun. He was the camping chef either grilling, smoking meats or making pizza oven creations.

Wally was the salt of the earth, so kind and always put others first. He had a large circle of friends who were family, and he was always there to help, support, fix and give guidance. He has been an inspiring mentor to many who work on cars, build cars, race cars, or just love cars.

Wally’s life was a testament to his dedication, strength, and kindness. Wally deeply loved his family and was a support to his community and friends. He will be remembered as a man who was one of a kind, a beautiful person, loved and enjoyed life to the fullest and spread joy with his big bear hug wherever he went.

Walter Joseph Kras’ legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of all those he interacted with. A man deeply loved. Rest in peace Wally, you will be missed.

The visiting hours will be Wednesday, October 4th from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at The Havens Family, North Haven Funeral Home, 36 Washington Avenue. Family and friends are invited to directly to St. Margaret Church, 24 Academy Street, Madison on Thursday at 11:00AM to attend a Mass of Christian Burial. Interment will be private and at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Nutmeg Kart Club Inc., Venmo @NutmegKart or PO Box 197, East Berlin, CT 06023.