LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of John N. Walsh, Jr., distin-
guished citizen and devoted member of his community

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great
State of New York; and
WHEREAS, John N. Walsh, Jr., World War II veteran, of Buffalo, New
York, died on September 17, 2010, at the age of 89, after living a rich
and noble life; and
WHEREAS, From 1942 to 1945, John N. Walsh, Jr. was on shipboard duty
in the Navy as an ensign on a sub chaser in the Pacific; he was at the
invasion of Okinawa on April 1, 1945, the day his wife gave birth to
their first child; he spent five more years in the Naval Reserve before
being recalled for two more years of active duty aboard a radar picket
destroyer, the USS Turner, in the Mediterranean; he retired from the
Navy as a lieutenant commander; and
WHEREAS, John N. Walsh, Jr., who through hard work and the partnership
of his father and sons, turned the family insurance business into a
highly respected local firm; he distinguished himself in his profession
by his sincere dedication and substantial contribution to the welfare of
his community; and
WHEREAS, In addition to his lifelong work at Walsh Duffield Insurance
of which he most recently held the title of Chairman Emeritus, John N.
Walsh, Jr. served on numerous corporate and civic boards including
former director of National Fuel Gas and Tops Markets as well as on the
boards of both Marine Midland Bank and Buffalo Savings Bank; and
WHEREAS, A devout Catholic, John N. Walsh, Jr. was a congregant of
Blessed Sacrament Church; he served on numerous religious committees and
headed the Bishop's Lay Committee on behalf of Bishop James McNulty; the
Schools Review Committee at the request of Bishop Edward Head; subse-
quently he was honored with a diocesan nomination and papal appointment
as a Knight of St. Gregory and Knight Commander; and
WHEREAS, With his commitment to excellence, and his spirit of humani-
ty, which carried over into all fields of enterprise, including charita-
ble and civic endeavors, John N. Walsh, Jr., had been recognized as a
BUFFALO NEWS Outstanding Citizen as well as Man of the Year by the Cham-
ber of Commerce; furthermore, John and his family were the proud recipi-
ents of the United Way's Volunteer of the Year salute and the Seymour H.
Knox Humanitarian Award; and
WHEREAS, John N. Walsh, Jr. is survived by his loving wife of 67
years, Sally Keating Walsh; his four wonderful children, Sally, John
III, Michael and Theodore; grandchildren, Ursula, Eliot, Meryl, Kyle,
Blake, Demaree, Abbe, Samuel, Benjamin and Lucas; and two great-grand-
children, Alexandra and Julian, all of whom he loved and supported; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit, imbued with a sense of
compassion, and comforted by a loving family, John N. Walsh, Jr. leaves
behind a legacy which will long endure the passage of time and will
remain as a comforting memory to all he served and befriended; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of John N. Walsh, Jr., distinguished citizen and devoted
member of his community; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of John N. Walsh, Jr.