Plan for the Future
Vincent A. Walsh
Loving husband, father & brother
Vincent A. Walsh, of Chatham, NJ, passed away peacefully on April 12, 2017 after a long, courageous battle with CJD, a degenerative brain disease. He had a distinguished career in financial services being named one of the top fifty Irish American men on Wall Street.
Born May 14, 1951, he was the fourth of Arleen and Jim Walsh’s eight children. He attended Cranford [NJ] High School, graduating in 1969, He attended the University of Notre Dame on a Navy ROTC scholarship and earned a BBA degree in marketing. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as an Ensign and served in the Pacific Fleet during the Vietnam Era. He supervised Gunfire School in Subic Bay, Philippines and after five years he retired as a lieutenant.
Vince earned an MBA in Accounting and Finance at Columbia University Graduate School of Business where he served as student body president and won the Distinguished Service Award. Early in his career in financial services he was in operations management at Morgan Stanley. Then, at Instinet, as Operations Manager, he was instrumental in guiding the company into automated equity transactions for multiple stock exchanges. He served as VP for Risk Management Oversight at Fidelity Investments in Boston. Vince managed trading technology and trade support for the Pershing Division of BNY/Mellon. During the last 15 years of his career he worked at KPMG, first as Director of Risk Advisory Services then in the GlobalServices Center developing client marketing products and services.
Never one to sit still, Vince served his Chatham community as a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician for the Emergency Squad on weekends. He was an active participant in the Unitarian Church in Summit as a liturgist and lecturer.
As an avid learner, he was always trying to enrich his life. He traveled extensively and was a huge history buff. He dug deep into the ancestry of the Walsh Family to create a heritage album. He also chronicled the Chatham Emergency Squad’s history, collecting and organizing old photos and records. Sports were a very big part of his life; completing eight marathons, interstate bicycle rides plus countless rounds of golf and tennis matches. While in the service, he attained his small plane pilots license.
Most of all, he was a dedicated family man. From being very involved in his daughter’s activities as a coach or supporter to organizing the annual Walsh family reunions to Long Beach Island. He did everything with enthusiasm being known for his calm demeanor, strength, courage, humility, and infectious laughter.
Vince leaves behind his devoted wife, Susan, and daughters Samantha and Jacquelyn. He is also survived by sisters Isabelle Gundaker (Bob) of Naples, FL, Dr. Julia Walsh (Dr. Steve Dell) of Peidmont, CA, Ellen Walsh (Bruce Klein) of Cranford, NJ, Fran Walsh (Bill Armitage) of Ledyard, CT and Arleen Mitchell (Cliff) of Newark, DE brothers Jim Walsh (Pat) of Brookfield, CT, Dr. Christopher (Dr. MingHui Chen) of Chestnut Hill, MA, as well as many nieces and nephews.
Memorial donations may be made to: CJD Foundation, P.O. Box 5312, Akron, OH 44334 – 1-800-659-1991 or www.cjdfoundation.org
Viewing at Wm. A. Bradley & Son Funeral Home, 345 Main Street, Chatham, NJ on Monday, April 17, at 2-4 and 7-9. Funeral service will be on Tuesday, April 18, at 11:00, at Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Summit, 4 Waldron Ave, Summit, NJ. Following the service, interment will be at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 10 West Stevens Ave, Hawthorne, NY 10532.