Wally Feist, a retired financial secretary-treasurer of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 757, passed away Dec. 6 surrounded by family at his home in Vancouver, Wash. He was 71.
Feist joined ATU in 1977 after taking a job as a bus operator for TriMet. The union represents transit workers at various agencies in Oregon and Southwest Washington.
Active in the union, Feist served as the elected financial secretary-treasurer from 1988 to 1997. He left the post in 1997 for an unsuccessful bid for president of the local. He ran again in 2000, this time winning by 21 votes. However, the election was invalidated by the international union when it was determined that 127 union members didn’t receive ballots. He lost in a special re-run election held a few months later. Feist returned to TriMet, retiring in 2011. By his own estimate, he drove over a million miles during his career at TriMet.
Wallace Daniel Feist was born Sept. 27, 1949, in Yakima, Washington. His family later moved to Clallam Bay, where he graduated from Clallam Bay High School.
After a stint in the Marine Corps, Feist owned and operated a Shell service station in Portland before embarking on his career at TriMet and Local 757.
Over the past few years he was in declining health, having undergone open heart surgery, a stroke, lung cancer, and COPD.
He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Marda; twin sons Michael and Matthew; daughter Pomella Feist; seven grandchildren; and two brothers and four sisters.
No public service is scheduled at this time.
Thank you for nice write-up folks. My father was proud to serve the men and women of ATU 757 and dedicated much of his life to the fight for fairness of the working class. I miss him everyday but am glad of his accomplishments as they inspire me in my life and professional endeavors.
Michael Pius Feist
Our Father is ever so missed.
There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for his family.