WILTON — Walter Sargent, 64, of Wilton, died unexpectedly, Sunday, Jan. 27, at his home.

He was born on Oct. 3, 1948, in Quincy, Mass., a son of Eliot and Anne (Bigney) Sargent. He attended Weymouth schools and went on to attend the University of San Francisco, where he earned his bachelor and master degrees in history. While working on those degrees, Walter owned and operated The Record Factory in San Francisco, Calif. He later moved to Minnesota, where he attended the University of Minnesota earning his Ph.D. in 2002.

In 2001, Walter married Bonnie Hartman Hannaman in Stillwater, Minn. They lived in St. Paul, Minn., while Walter taught at Winona State University. In 2005, they moved to Wilton, when Walter accepted a teaching position at the University of Maine at Farmington. Walter was a beloved member of the college among both students and faculty alike.

Beyond of his teaching duties at the University of Maine Farmington, Walter also chaired the Curriculum and Academic Policy (CAP) Committee and was a member of the board of directors at the Norlands Living History Center in Livermore.

He was an active scholar and presented papers at the meetings of the American History Association (AHA), the New England History Association and other professional organizations. In recent years, Walter developed an interest in the history of Turkey. A presentation at an international conference on Globalization and Civilization of the Ottoman Empire in Corum, Turkey in the fall of 2011 led to publication in a highly distinguished Turkish social sciences journal. He was the co-editor of the highly-regarded book War and Society in the American Revolution: Mobilization and Home Fronts.

He was a prolific reader and knowledgeable on boundless subjects besides his academic discipline with a wide range and eclectic interests. For all his intelligence, he was humble. His passion for baseball and music was ever present in his personal and academic life. His discipline was history — his subject was humanity.

Walter is survived by his wife, Bonnie of Wilton; son, Daniel Sargent, granddaughter, Viktoria, his fiancé, Christina, of Bend, Ore.; daughter, Nicole Rouse and her husband, Raymond, of Sacramento, Calif.; granddaughter, Nola; stepchildren, Scott Hannaman of Key West, Fla., and children, Marcus, Haley and Hannah; Sean Hannaman and his wife, Windy, of Palmer, Alaska, children, Riley and Carly; Seth Hannaman and his wife, Kelsey, of Anchorage, Alaska; siblings, David Sargent and his wife, Paula, of Wakefield, Mass., Suzanne Sargent and companion, Eric Root, of Fryeburg; and Bonnie’s sisters, Becky, husband, Guy Nadeau and Judy, husband, Chuck Anway.

He was predeceased by his parents.

Words of condolence and tribute may be shared with Walter’s family and friends on his tribute wall at www.wilesrc.com.