Builder, Beatnik and Entrepreneur Walter Stallard Langsford III born August 24, 1935 in Boston, KY lived his adult life in New York City died of brain cancer November 11, 2019 in the Berkshires, he was 84 years old. In the 1960s and early 1970s he operated the avant-garde Charles Theater which had the first commercial showcase for independent films and founded the 10th Street Project, a failed attempt at providing low income housing on the Lower East Side. He later became a construction manager - working for interracial housing developer, Morris Milgram, and then for the construction firm of Humphrey’s and Harding of New York City. Notable projects include the Central Park Children’s Zoo; the historical restoration of Marx Hall and other buildings at Princeton University and the Congo Exhibit Gorilla enclosure at the New York Zoological Gardens. 

Walter is survived by his partner of 35 years; Janet Cooper and his 3 children; Jennifer Greenman, Hatti Langsford and Walter Langsford IV; three grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Also his sisters;  Rebecca Langsford Tucker and Bettye Sue Langsford Ferguson and their families.  

A celebration of his life will be held at the Old Kentucky Home State Park Ballroom in Bardstown, KY on January 13, 2010 at 11:30 AM. 

Private burial in the morning.

Biography

Walter Stallard Langsford, III (b. 1935- d. 2019) was born in Boston, Kentucky on August 24, 1935 to Walter S. Langsford, Jr. (b. 1902 - d. 1966), Engineer, and Inez Sprigg Langsford (b. 1903 - d.1974) Educator, Painter, Homemaker. As a young man, Walter was interested in the theater and worked on the inaugural production of The Stephen Foster Story in Bardstown, KY. He attended Western Kentucky University before moving to New York City where he lived for most of his life. He ran the Avant Garde Charles Theater on the Lower East Side of Manhattan which had the first commercial showcase for independent films long before there was a “Sundance.” 

In 1962 he married Joyce Grant (b. 1937) and had three children; Jennifer (1963) Hatti (1964), and Walter (1966). He was a member at Washington Square Methodist Church, “The Peace Church”; built sets for the award winning experimental theater group,  The Living Theater;  and was the founder of the 10th Street Project, a failed attempt at providing low income housing on the Lower East Side in the early 1970s. Langsford went on to work in construction and planning - working for the interracial housing developer Morris Milgram, and then for the construction firm of Humphrey’s and Harding of New York City as a Construction Manager. Notable projects include the Central Park Children’s Zoo; the historical restoration of Marx Hall and other buildings at Princeton University and the Congo Exhibit Gorilla enclosure at the New York Zoological Gardens. 

He died of Brain Cancer in Sheffield, Massachusetts at the home he shared with the artist, Janet Cooper, the afternoon on Veteran’s Day, November 11, 2019 just before the first snow of the year. He loved the opera, coffee and reading the New York Times everyday. He loved his family and helping them work on their homes, traveling. He and Cooper traveled extensively, they visited Italy most winters.

Walter Langsford lll is survived by his partner of 35 years; Janet Cooper and his 3 children; Jennifer Greenman, (Bradley Greenman) Drug and Alcohol Clinical Program Manager; Hatti Langsford (William Moratz), New York State Museum Instructor;  and Walter Langsford IV, a Carpenter. His Grandchildren; Bradley and Adam Greenman and Emma Langsford; his great-grandchild Regan Greenman. His sisters also survive him; Rebecca Langsford Tucker (b. 1932) and Bettye Sue Langsford Ferguson (b. 1939) and their families. He was loved by all who knew him and we are grieving the loss of this kind, generous and interesting man.