Patricia Morrisey Walsh, 91, passed away on September 4, 2019. Born in Bronxville, N.Y., she was the daughter of James T. and Fernanda (Ehrenfels) Morrisey.
After graduating from The Ursuline School in New Rochelle in 1946, she was accepted to Wellesley College, but her family couldn’t afford the tuition at the time. Undeterred, she enrolled at the College of New Rochelle, where she excelled and earned a bachelor’s degree in Business in 1950.
On May 5, 1951, she married the man who would be her life partner for 68 years, Paul H. Walsh. They raised their four children in Larchmont. Twenty-nine years ago, they moved to Rye.
A dedicated volunteer, Mrs. Walsh worked assiduously to raise funds for United Hospital in Port Chester, and she was an active member of the Junior League of Larchmont.
She was also a crack bridge player, and an avid golfer and tennis player well into her 80s. Her children remember the plunk, plunk, plunk of whiffle golf balls bouncing off the back of the house as their mother worked to perfect that five-iron approach to the green.
Pat and Paul Walsh shared a love of the arts and were longtime subscribers to the New York City Ballet and the New York Philharmonic.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at Church of the Resurrection September 9.
In their eulogy, her children said their mother instilled a love of reading in them. “Hers was a life of the mind. She was always reading, often several books at once. She loved words and was fascinated by their origin. Unsurprisingly, one of her favorite gifts was the Oxford Dictionary of the English Language, which she consulted on a nearly daily basis.”
In recent years, with her health declining, Pat Walsh’s courage and inner strength remained unshakeable, said her children. “As she faded from us and was forced to abandon her beloved books, crossword puzzles, and even the ability to speak, she never once complained.
“All the while she had her rock, our father, who adored her.”
Paul Walsh, 92, died a little more than three weeks after his wife, on September 27, 2019.
Born in Yonkers, N.Y., he was the son of Clara (Hingston) and William A. Walsh.
After graduating from Iona Prep Class in 1943, he went on to Villanova College through the Navy V12 program, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1947, and, a year later, a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Mr. Walsh held executive sales positions for various electronic companies that were the precursors of modern computer chip companies. In 1970, he formed his own independent sales representative company.
He was an avid golfer and sailor, and passionate NY Giants Football supporter.
His children said, “Our father lived an exemplary life. He set the example for his children and grandchildren of a life well lived filled with honor, strength, determination, and, most of all, love.”
“While Dad certainly loved his children and grandchildren, the greatest love of his life was his wife of 68 years, our mother. And there was no better example of that love and devotion than during the final year of their lives.
“Dad knew for the last several years that he didn’t have long to live; two major heart attacks had left him with significant heart failure, but he refused to give in until he knew for sure that Mom was safe in heaven.”
About the bond between their parents, the Walsh children said, “While it’s true that no outsider really knows the details of a union between two people, our parents love for each other was clear for all to see.
“Theirs was a marriage of two equals. They made all important decisions together and our mother’s voice carried equal weight.
“This, I think, was one of their greatest gifts to us, their children, who are four very different people with different personalities, interests, and careers. But there’s one common thread that runs through the marriages of their children — a shared, deep respect and love for our spouses.”
A Mass of Christian Burial for Paul Walsh was celebrated October 3 at Church of the Resurrection
Pat and Paul Walsh are survived by their four children: Jeffrey Walsh and wife Mary Ellen of Rowayton, Conn., Barbara Walsh Vigliotti and her husband Al of Phoenixville, Pa., Fernanda Walsh Jarasek of Pottersville, N.J., and Meggan Walsh Wos and her husband Konrad of New York City; and their five grandchildren: Ehren, Taylor, Dylan, Carson, and Katy.