Michael Walsh, 68, passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, at Norwalk Hospital in Norwalk, Connecticut.
Michael was born to Catherine and Michael Walsh, Sr. on Oct. 15, 1954, in Jackson Heights, Queens. He was the second of three children in his family. As a young boy, the family moved and bought a house in Elmhurst, Queens, where he resided for the remainder of his youth. During this time, he developed a passion for problem solving by designing small toys and games for his neighborhood, building A/V receivers, and modifying bicycles. In 1972, he attended Baruch College. To fund his education, he took on a managerial role at The Inventory Company (“TIC”) in Fort Lee, NJ, and paused his schooling.
In 1979, he married the love of his life, Gail Walsh. They bought a house together in Monroe, NY, where they raised their two children, Sarah and Ryan. They decided to remodel their house, and Michael took on the lion’s share of the work by himself. He went back to school when his children were a bit older and finished his BA in business at Mount St. Mary’s College in 1993, graduating magna cum laude. During his time at TIC, he tackled many large and complex projects such as building their IT department from the ground up and writing the billing software for Englewood Hospital. He worked at TIC until it closed. Shortly thereafter in 2008, he opened a spinoff business, R&W Inventory, that ran for nearly a decade. He then spent a brief time working for Dish Network before retiring in 2020.
Michael loved nature and good works of art, including epic novel series, sci-fi stories, classical music, and oil pastel drawings. His pastimes of choice were bowling, fishing, photography, and drawing. He was a family man and loved to attend his childrens’ sporting and performance events which he rarely missed. He took delight in entertaining guests and could be found in the kitchen trying to make a good meal, possibly with mushrooms but never with broccoli. He always offered a helping hand and shared what he had with others; he was actively involved with Meals on Wheels for years. Later in life, he developed a passion for golfing and enjoyed organizing outings with his friends. He also adored the ocean and took comfort in having a Shetland sheepdog by his side.
He is survived by his wife, Gail Walsh; their children, Sarah Coughlin (husband Sean Coughlin of Connecticut) and Ryan Walsh (wife Lauren Walsh of Alabama); and grandchildren, Gabriella, Mirabel, Ethan, and Evienne. He is also survived by his older sister, Maureen Weppler, and younger brother, John Walsh.
A celebration of life will take place at Note Kitchen & Bar at 227 Greenwood Ave., Bethel, CT 06801 on Oct. 28, 2023, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Arrangements are made at Danbury Memorial Funeral Home at 117 South St., Danbury, CT 06810.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (pancan.org/ways-to-give/).