He served in an anti-aircraft battalion in the Israel Defense Forces, and, after his discharge was an active volunteer in the Tourism Unit of the Israel Police. At his Amherst College 50th class reunion Zanger wrote "I always just did whatever seemed the right thing at the time, and it always worked out. My life has been -- by far! -- more luck than brains, and I feel fine about that." Walter Zanger died on August 28, 2015.