Yvonne Walters, who promoted wellness as a pioneering Sacramento County health inspector and an advocate for holistic therapies, died Sunday at age 83.
The cause was renal failure related to recent heart surgery, said her daughter, Heidi Yamazaki.
Mrs. Walters was one of the county's first female registered environmental health specialists. She joined what is now the Environmental Management Department as a typist in 1970 and became an inspector two years later. She also worked as a hazardous materials specialist before retiring in 1996.
She broke a lot of barriers in a field dominated by men, including some who did not believe a woman "would be able to lift a septic tank lid," environmental management supervisor Colleen Maitoza said.
She also brought a new approach to the job of inspecting restaurants, public swimming pools and other businesses. "Before, it was traditionally enforcement-oriented," Maitoza said. "She was more personable and used persuasion to educate people to comply."
Although trained as a scientist, Mrs. Walters also pursued unconventional approaches to mental and physical well-being. She studied personal energy fields and channeling to treat illness. She practiced reiki, a form of spiritual healing through touch, and practiced dowsing to locate objects and test her intuition. Ignoring skeptics, she gained self-confidence and peace of mind helping others with nontraditional therapies.
She earned a doctorate in esoteric philosophy and hermetic medicine from the Ritberger Institute in Cameron Park.
Yvonne Stella Wacker was born in 1926 to German and Swiss immigrants in Sacramento. She graduated from Grant High School and earned a biology degree from Southern Oregon College.
She had two children during a marriage to Ernest Karl Dunisch that ended in divorce.
A second marriage, to Art Walters, also ended in divorce.
Mrs. Walters taught biology and German at high schools in Ashland, Ore., and Santa Cruz before moving to Sacramento County.
As a substitute teacher in Sacramento, she reached out to troubled students at continuation schools.
"She could tell they didn't feel good about themselves, because they were told how bad they were all the time," Yamazaki said. "But they were very respectful with her, because she was always positive and showed them respect."
Call The Bee's Robert D. Dávila, (916) 321-1077.
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