Walter Louis Ruggiero, 79, of Wakefield and formerly of Revere, Peabody and Danvers, died peacefully on January 3, 2022, at the residence of his son with his family by his side. Walter, or “Wally” as he was often called, was born in Winthrop, MA on June 7, 1942, the son of the late James W. and Josephine (Antonelli) Ruggiero. He was the last of eight children and was a sweet, quiet and well-liked child who was almost always in the company of a four-legged friend. Walter graduated from Winthrop High School and married his first love, Gail (Walter) Ruggiero in 1962. Together, they had three sons, James, John and Walter (II) Ruggiero. Gail passed away in March of 1988 after a brief illness. Walter later married Diane (Brolli) Ruggiero in 1989 and remained a devoted and adoring husband until her passing in 2008. As a young man, Walter worked part-time at the Revere Drive-In Theatre and also managed a local Cumberland Farms. He was later employed as a storeroom manager at Marriott Corp., an airline catering company in East Boston (now LSG Sky Chefs, Inc.) where he remained for 47 years until his retirement at the age of 78 in 2020. Walter enjoyed telling stories and jokes to anyone and everyone. He had a way of making his listener think they were being told a truthful, personal experience of his, only to be sucker-punched with a risqué punchline. Walter enjoyed playing Solitaire, watching John Wayne movies and was an avid lover of animals, especially his dogs Molly, Oodles and Ollie who were constant companions after the death of his second wife, and his cats Baby and Pumpkin who both kept him company during retirement. Walter is survived by his two sons, John (Jack) Ruggiero and his wife Renee of Wakefield, MA and Walter (Louie) Ruggiero and his partner Erin Murphy of Ayer, MA; his stepdaughter Virginia Rosenblatt and her husband Brian of Salem, MA; his sisters Anna Johnston and Frances Vose, both of Easton; his four cherished grandchildren, Anthony Ruggiero, Jenna Ruggiero, Joseph Ruggiero and Lillian Ruggiero; many nieces and nephews; many incredible, lifelong friends; and of course, Pumpkin the cat. Walter was preceded in death by his first wife Gail (Walter) Ruggiero; his second wife Diane (Brolli) Ruggiero; his son James W. Ruggiero; his brothers Nicholas, Joseph and James Ruggiero; and his sisters Mary Ciulla and Regina Thompson. A visitation will be held on Monday, January 10, 2022, at the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home at the 82 Lynn Street, Peabody MA facility from 11:00 AM until 12:30 PM. A funeral service will begin there at 12:30 PM with Deacon Leo Martin as celebrant. Burial will follow at Walnut Grove Cemetery, 30 Sylvan Street, Danvers. Expressions of sympathy may be made to the MSPCA at Nevin Farms, 400 Broadway, Methuen, MA 01844 in Walter’s memory.