by Kristian | Jul 30, 2013 | Adult Life, College (James Madison University)
It amazes me how tying my 4-year old son Dylan’s shoes brings back a flood of memories of Brian. Brian was Dylan’s Godfather and they both wore Adidas Samba soccer shoes. There was always a cute exchange between the two of them whenever they saw each other to see if they were both wearing their Sambas. Whether they were or not, Brian could always engage an enlightened conversation with our inquisitive little boy. I met Brian almost 30-years ago at JMU when Brian Gracie and I pledged the fraternity that Walsh joined the year before as a freshman. Amongst other things that were required during pledging, we had to memorize a handful of Latin phrases one of which translates to Nothing Shall Ever Tear Us Asunder. The Latin translation is something that our circle of friends would repeat to one another on occasion out of jest. However, when I heard the news of Brian’s passing I could not get that phrase out of my head and still find myself repeating it when I think of Brian. It is no surprise to me that Walsh remained one of my closest friends and confidants since our time together at JMU. He was one of, if not the only person that I could comfortably talk to about anything whether personal, financial or professional. As we all move on to other chapters of our lives, marriage, kids, etc. most people tend to socialize more with parents of kids that interact with their own kids. Lauryn and I were fortunate enough that our oldest son Tucker is the same age as Sean and the...
by Kristian | Jul 24, 2013 | Stories, The Younger Years
We learned, early on, that Brian was a very special child. During one Christmas Season, Brian came to his parents, who, of course, know everything, and told us that “Santa Claus was God”. As parents, we stared at each other and wondered what could be coming next. “What makes you say that, dear”, we asked. Brian replied “Everyone knows that the only person who knows who is naughty or nice is God”. From that moment on, we never looked back as to the wonders of Brian Walsh. Elaine & Bill Walsh Plano,...
by Kristian | May 17, 2013 | Adult Life
The Timeout, or lack thereof. I had the pleasure of coaching basketball with Brian, but more special was when Brian coached my boys and I sat on the sidelines cheering, not coaching. While I have enjoyed coaching my kids in many sports, there is a great joy in sitting back and watching them compete and enjoying their play as a fan. I have never been one to be one of those parents who coach from the sidelines or bench, there are plenty of those, but just once I wish I were! In the CMRC rec league in 2010, my boys Colin and Grayson played on a team coached by Brian. Inspired by John Wooden, the UCLA Bruins had a .500 or so season, but then the team went on a Ravens playoff-type run. In typical Coach Walsh fashion the team, parents, grandparents, and anyone lucky enough to be on the email string received a game analysis after the semi-final game, which read, in part: 3-9-2010 – Congratulations UCLA! With your fantastic play on Saturday, we will Go for the Gold tomorrow night at 6pm on the Full Court at St James to take on the #1 Seed Stanford Cardinal for the CMRC Championship. I speak for Coach Ed and Coach Patrick that we were so proud of your effort on Saturday. Having to play back to back games against two very good teams was a tremendous challenge and you rose to the occasion. Game 1 started without our valuable point guard, Luke Levendusky, who was scheduled to make it to the game by halftime. Our Bruins knew they would...
by Kristian | May 17, 2013 | Adult Life
My husband, Al, was a casual colleague of Brian’s through their mutual work with Lincoln Financial Advisors. I only had the pleasure of meeting Brian once, but I will always remember the significance of that encounter. Our son, Jared, was two weeks from graduation from James Madison University when he was killed in a car accident in 2002. As is happening now, many caring friends came together to hold a golf tournament in Jared’s honor. Brian, being a staunch JMU alum and the liaison for the Baltimore area, heard of the tournament and immediately contacted Al to lend his support. On the day of the tournament, I saw some guy approaching the registration table carrying a HUGE box – it was Brian! He had contacted JMU and gotten many, many JMU products, from jackets to tee shirts to engraved beer glasses, which we could add to the raffle table. Everything he brought was a hit with the golfers! As parents, you never want your child to be forgotten. I will never forget how much it meant to us that JMU would care enough about Jared and his memory to contribute so generously to the tournament. Obviously, this occurred because Brian cared about a grieving family and wanted to do something to ease their burden. How gratifying it was to us then, and again now, to be able to share this story with his family and friends. Story submitted by Betsy...
