Richard Aquinas Walsh

Richard Aquinas Dick Walsh, 76, beloved husband of Mary Beth Sheehan Walsh, of Bloomfield and formerly of West Hartford, died Saturday, March 20, 2010 amidst family at St. Francis Hospital. Born in Bridgeport, the son of William and Ruth Myers Walsh, Dick lived in West Hartford for over 70 years, moving to Bloomfield six years ago. He graduated from St. Thomas the Apostle School, attended The Loomis School and graduated from high school at St. Thomas Seminary. He graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in 1955, and obtained his Law degree from UCONN in 1958. He spent many years in the private practice of law in Hartford, and eventually became managing counsel of the Connecticut Laborers Legal Service. He was a member of the Connecticut and Hartford County Bar Associations and was admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1990, Dick was appointed to the Superior Court Bench by Gov. William O'Neil. He served in that capacity for twenty years, sitting in Waterbury, Enfield and for several years, in Juvenile Court in Hartford. Dick spent many happy years in the Litchfield Court House, where he eventually became the Administrative Judge. When he took senior status, Dick sat in Middletown, his father's hometown. A devout Catholic, Dick was a daily communicant. He was a parishioner of St. Peter Claver Church in West Hartford and of St. Patrick's Church in Jupiter, Florida. Dick served on the CT State Board of Examiners for Nurses, the Committee for the Protection of Human Rights at St. Francis Hospital, the parish counsel of St. Peter Claver and was on the board of directors for several baseball leagues. He was also a member of the Irish American Club in Glastonbury. Dick loved and was a student of all sports, at all levels, from swimming to hockey, Little League to The Red Sox. Dick and his entire family celebrated his 70th birthday at Fenway Park, where his name was in lights. Dick and the love of his life, Mary Beth, shared 52 years of marriage. Together, they enjoyed travel and many friends. They spent many and afternoon or evening enjoying the activities of their grandchildren. In addition to Mary Beth, he is survived by his six children and their spouses; Bridget Moses and her husband Neil of Medfield, MA; Maura Walsh-O'Brien and her husband A.J. O'Brien of West Hartford; Deirdre Crowell and her husband Dick of Medfield, MA; Shelagh Fobare and her husband Tod of Dallas, TX; Eileen Neubert and her husband Dan of West Hartford; Luke Aquinas Walsh and his wife Caitlin of Wilton; 17 grandchildren; Brendan, Katherine and Christopher Moses, Andrew and Rose O'Brien, Anne Marie, Clare, Matthew and Grace Crowell, Kaitlin, Hanna, and Maggie Fobare, Sarah and Hayden Neubert, and Lauren, Conor and Janie Walsh, and his brother, W. Kevin Walsh of West Hartford. He was predeceased by his twin brother, Robert E. Walsh. The funeral will be Thursday at 9:15 from the Molloy Funeral Home , 906 Farmington Ave., West Hartford, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m in St. Peter Claver Church, 47 Pleasant St. , West Hartford. Burial will be private. Calling hours are Wed. from 4-8 pm at the funeral home. Donations in Dick's memory may be made to St. Thomas the Apostle School, 25 Dover Rd. West Hartford, CT 06119 or The House of Bread, 27 Chestnut St. Hartford, CT 06120. On line expressions of sympathy maybe made at www.molloyfuneralhome.com.

Richard Aquinas Walsh

August 6, 1933 - March 20, 2010