"Walt Ehmer really was special" - Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian pays tribute to late Waffle House CEO, reflects on fond memories with him
Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian has honored Walt Ehmer with a heartwarming tribute after his death. Ehmer was the president and CEO of the popular restaurant chain Waffle House.
Ehmer was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer in 2023 and opted to become the first recipient of a new immunotherapy treatment. However, he had an adverse reaction to the treatment, which led to his passing at the age of 58 on September 6. He is survived by his wife, three children, and two grandchildren.
A user on TikTok shared a moving story about her experience with Walt Ehmer while serving as the hostess for a group of CEOs. The user recounted how Ehmer accidentally left his Waffle House umbrella behind in the restaurant. As she prepared to chase him down in the rain, Ehmer returned to retrieve it himself. However, upon noticing the user's efforts to reunite him with his umbrella, he graciously offered it to her.
"When he (Walt Ehmer) came in, he had this big umbrella that said Waffle House so I knew who he was immediately," she said. "I said I'm a big fan and I really like that umbrella and he said thank you and he gave a free waffle card. I took his umbrella for him. He went about his dinner, apparently dinner went well and everybody left. I realized after a few minutes, I was like, 'His umbrella.'"
"As I'm about to walk about to try and find him in the rain, he turns the corner and walks back in to get his umbrella. He was like, 'You remembered' and I was like, 'Yes I was about to go chase you down and give it to you.' And he was like, 'You know what, you keep that umbrella.' And he had just ran all the way back in the rain to come get it," she added.
The user also lamented about Ehmer's untimely death and praised him as a "really nice man," expressing her hope that the anecdote would bring some comfort to his family.
"I still have it and I'm really sad that he died. He was a really really nice man and 58 is too young. I just hope that his family sees this or something," she said.
Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian reshared the user's story, revealing that he too had memorable stories to share about the "special" Walt Ehmer. The 41-year-old also sent his heartfelt condolences to Ehmer's family.
"Walt really was special. I have some stories I wanna share I just gotta put the words together. 🙏 Prayers and love to the Ehmer family," Ohanian posted.
"Fatherhood gets better every year" - Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian shares glimpse of his celebrations for daughter Olympia's 7th birthday
While Serena Williams doesn't celebrate birthdays because of her Jehovah's Witness faith, her husband Alexis Ohanian recently organized the "best weekend" for their older daughter Olympia in honor of her seventh birthday on September 1.
The 41-year-old reflected on fatherhood "getting better and better" and opened up about their "awesome cake session" and visit to the Back to the Future musical.
"Tried to give this girl the best weekend ever! September 1, 2017 changed My Life. Fatherhood gets better every year. I love my new SEVEN year old. You somehow keep getting better and better, Jr. Thanks @ChristinaTosi for an awesome cake session as usual. Also the Back to the Future Musical was really good," Serena Williams' husband posted on X.
Alexis Ohanian recently also celebrated his and Serena Williams' younger daughter Adira River's first birthday, reflecting on how quickly the first year of her life had flown by.