Obituary of John Charles Walsh

Jack, as he was known to family and friends, was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, to Martin and Genevieve Walsh on July 8, 1944.  He was the sixth of seven children, and is preceded in death by his parents, Anthony, Marty and Gen (Walsh) Birawer.

Jack grew up in Saint Paul and attended Cretin High School and attended Saint Thomas University and the University of Minnesota where he received his bachelor’s degree in Zoology.  After college, he joined the United States Air Force and shortly thereafter, married Mary Wood.  He was trained as a flight navigator during the Vietnam War and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel.  He served in the USAF from 1966 – 1986.  While working for the military, Mary and Jack welcomed two sons, Eamon and Kelley, and his family moved from base to base which eventually led them to Lakenheath Air Force base, in England, where Jack was Chief of Police and head of security for the base.

After 20 years of service, Jack retired and took a job at Teledyne Brown Engineering as a NASA contractor in Huntsville, Alabama.  After leaving Teledyne Brown Engineering, he took some part time jobs and ultimately moved back to Minnesota after his divorce to be closer to his siblings and his hometown.  Jack retired permanently at a young age and enjoyed the simpler things in life.  He was a writer, learned to play the guitar, loved taking long walks along the river, getting his coffee fix at Caribou, an avid gardener, ran marathons and bike marathons and was all things country.  He was a cowboy at heart and loved movie westerns and books about the Old West.  He was a shy and humble man, extremely proud to serve our Country, and was generous to a fault to those in need.

Private services will be held on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, at his home in Cottage Grove and will be interred at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis.