James Anthony Walsh passed peacefully at Hope Hospice in Cape Coral, Florida on May 8, 2020 and joined his wife of nearly 70 years, Mary, to be together with God in Heaven. He was 90.
Jim was born August 2, 1929 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of the late John J. Walsh and Viola Wood Walsh. As a child he grew up loving and playing baseball and was selected for the Connie Mack All- Stars and was invited to audition at Shibe Stadium for the Philadelphia Athletics and the Philadelphia Phillies in 1946. After graduating from Cheltenham High School he joined the PA Army National Guard and soon thereafter was activated and served in the regular Army during the Korean Conflict.
Jim married his high school sweetheart in 1950 and they relocated to Columbus, Indiana where they raised four children. He began working at Indiana Gas as a meter reader, trained and moved up as an engineer, and by the time of his retirement after more than 45 years, he retired as District Supervisor for all of southern Indiana’s natural gas. In 1959 he was nearly killed while working on a gas furnace as a serviceman when a gas leak caused an explosion and a house fire. The investigation into the cause of the fire lead to new safety measures and standards. A few years later it also brought President John F. Kennedy to Columbus and one of Jim’s proudest moments was when he shook hands with JFK, had his picture taken with him, and got to talk to him about the new safety changes. While in Columbus, Jim coached many Little League teams back in the 60’s and 70’s and was an avid bowler and golfer. In the 1980’s and 90’s he served on the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Merit Board. He was an active member of St. Bartholomew’s Church, the K of C, the Elk’s Club, the Arts Guild, Toastmasters, the Otter Creek Golf Course, and more. He and Mary later moved to Hope, IN and resided on Schaefer Lake until they moved to Punta Gorda, Florida in 1995. While residing in Hope, they decided to take a journey with their friends the Whittington’s and drove a small pontoon boat from southern Indiana down rivers until they reached the Intercoastal Waterway and arrived in Tampa Bay. Although they traveled the world, this trip was one of their more memorable ones and he even wrote a book about their adventures. While in Punta Gorda Jim did volunteer work at the Elk’s Club and at the Peace River Wildlife Center where he was proud to be recognized as their oldest volunteer. An serious golfer, he was a member of the Twin Isles Country Club and was awarded a plaque for making a hole-in-one on that course and for many years he organized their St. Patrick’s Day Golf Tournament. He and Mary spent their summers in Ocean City, NJ, where he was a member of the Ocean City Yacht Club and the American Legion. In 2017 they moved to The Windsor of Cape Coral.
Jim was loved by many for his pleasant, happy, sweet disposition, his positive outlook on life and great sense of humor. His beloved wife Mary passed less than a year ago. He was also preceded in death by their son Michael Walsh, brothers John Walsh, Chuck Walsh, and sister Mary Walsh Skeehan. He is survived by his sister Viola Walsh Andrews (John) in Pennsylvania, brother Patrick Walsh (Nadine) in New Jersey, daughter Cindy Walsh of St. James City, FL, son Jim Walsh, Jr. of Englewood, FL, son Tom Walsh of Scottsdale, AZ, grandson Evan Walsh (Angela) of Tampa, FL, grandson Nathan Walsh (Mimi) of Columbus, IN, 8 great-grandchildren, and a great-great-grand-daughter. No services are planned at this time. Final interment will be at the Sarasota National Cemetery. Any memorial contributions to his memory may be given to Hope Healthcare Hospice Services (www.HopeHCS.org).
