Walter S. Dougherty

Mr. Walter S. Dougherty, well known Atlanta artist, died March 28th, 2005 at the age of 77. During his career he worked as an advertising artist for a Washington D.C. firm and with the Atlanta Journal Newspaper. He also worked as an illustrator in the early fifties with the United States Air Force at the Pentagon in Washington D.C. doing graphics of classified materials. For 12 years he was head of the Graphics Unit at the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta. During his long career at the CDC, he designed and illustrated a variety of audiovisual material for print, filmstrips, and film animation. He also designed a number of award winning Medical and Scientific Exhibits. After retiring from the Federal Audiovisual Program, he did freelance paintings under contract for a well known New York art publisher and became internationally known for his work through reproductions of his paintings. In 1947, he was a crewmember of the Aircraft Carrier USS Phillipine Sea while sailing to the Antarctic with Admiral Richard E. Byrd. A long time member of both Alexander Memorial and Crossroads Presbyterian churches he served as both a Deacon and an Elder. He was a founding member of the Atlanta Watercolor Club and member of many Art associations. His paintings included portraits, landscapes and seascapes owned by many colIectors. He was best known for his beautiful watercolor landscapes. He is survived by two sons, Richard W. (Sandra) Dougherty of Kinston, NC and Brian H. (Ellen) Dougherty of Stone Mountain, GA; three grandchildren, Megan, Erin, Joshua; and one great grandchild, Dakota. He is also survived by two sisters, Connie McMeans, Teresa Michaels; and brother, Norman Dougherty, all of Black Mountain, NC. He was preceded in death by his wife Dorothy. Funeral Services will be held in the chapel of A. S. Turner & Sons Funeral Home, Decatur, GA at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 30th. Graveside rites will be in Black Mountain, NC at Mountainview Memorial Cemetery at 2 p.m. Thursday. Reverend Ellis will be officiating. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday A.S. Turner & Sons.