Walter Richard "Walt" Steiger, 87, of Hilo, regarded as one of the fathers of the University of Hawaii astronomy program, will be remembered in services 5 p.m. Saturday at Imiloa Astronomy Center Planetarium, Hilo.

Walter Steiger

He died Sunday.

Steiger was an interim director of the astronomy center, a retired University of Hawaii-Manoa Department of Physics and Astronomy chairman and an Army veteran who served during World War II.

He was born in Proctor, Colo. He is survived by wife Betty, son Keith, daughter Kathi Marciniak, stepson Dean Jones, stepdaughters Karen Jones and Cathy Walsh, brother Raymond, sister Mary Spittle, former wife Jeanne, 13 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Casual attire.

In lieu of flowers, donations suggested to University of Hawaii Foundation, to either the Imiloa Center or the Walter and Betty Steiger Physics and Astronomy Scholarship.