Wally Schimpf (maiden name Koelega) was born in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on October 12, 1935 to Katherina Schuhmann and Alexander Koelega. She grew up in Amsterdam with two younger sisters, Mireille and Yvonne. She was academically and artistically gifted and attended Spinoza Lyceum preparatory school for the academically inclined. Wally left Amsterdam as a young woman and emigrated to Michigan. She later moved to Chicago for better opportunities.

She lived in a trendy Near North neighborhood and worked downtown as an office manager for several companies, including Barton Brands and Marshall Fields. She was smart, hard-working, detail oriented, and was respected by her co-workers.

She frequented Montrose Beach in Chicago and it was there she met her future husband, Anthony "Tony" Schimpf. They dated for two years and married on July 28, 1965, residing in a fashionable Near North neighborhood in Chicago.  Their daughter, Laura, was born in 1968. They were a happy, active, and fun-loving couple and stayed together for life.

After retirement Wally enjoyed spending time with friends and family, cooking, gardening, reading, and visiting their summer home in Michigan. She and Tony traveled often to Europe and enjoyed cross-country driving trips to the U.S. National Parks. They moved to Portland, Oregon in 2016 to be near Laura, settling in the Reedwood neighborhood.

Wally was lovely, elegant, sophisticated, intelligent, creative, and fun-loving. All who knew her thought her to be warm and kind. She was a wonderful cook and a master gardener. She created beautiful outdoor spaces wherever she lived. She and Tony loved to entertain and were gracious, generous hosts.

Wally passed away on May 15, 2022 from cancer. Her daughter was at her side. A celebration of life is planned for this summer in Chicago. She is greatly missed.