Lois Walter of Beval Saddlery has passed away

The heart of Beval Saddlery was Lois Walter, a much-admired woman who died Tuesday from cancer at the age of 91.

She had been married to Bev Walter, who founded the business in 1955 in Bernardsville, N.J. After Lois and Bev divorced, he died in 1993. Lois went on to run Beval’s, which was synonymous with quality in English tack, working with her son, Mark, and her husband, Tom Spinks.

Lois Walter. (Photo courtesy Lori Jonas Seppi)

In addition to the stores in Gladstone, N.J., New York State and Connecticut, at its peak, Beval’s also had a mobile unit and shops on the HITS showgrounds in Saugerties, N.Y., as well as at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Fla. The company was sold and now operates out of Cross River, N.Y.

Lois retired at the age of 80 and moved to Arizona with Tom. A master gardener, she also kept busy doing artwork and enjoying nature on her walks. The couple relocated to Utah two years ago.

Writing on social media, former Beval employee Jennifer Gomez Hoffman said Lois had been “an incredible mentor,” noticing she had hired her at Bevals when she was just 16.
“I worked for her for 14 years until I started my family. Her knowledge of the saddlery business was incredible…. I was a sponge and she saw that and shared all of her wealth of information with me. She was kind, strong and humble…always preferring to be behind the scenes. She was pure class and grace.”

In addition to her husband and son, Lois is survived by her daughter, Lori Jonas Seppi, who worked as a sales rep for Beval; five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Arrangements are pending for a celebration of life, but her daughter said Lois wanted her ashes spread at the Jersey Shore, one of her favorite spots.