Kevin F. Walsh

Kevin F. Walsh, 82, of Simsbury, CT died on April 15, 2023, at Hartford Hospital. Born in Dorchester, MA, Kevin's greatest joy in life was his family. In 1966, he married Eleanor Pieroni Walsh, also of Dorchester. They were married for 56 years and raised four children. Kevin was the father and grandfather who enjoyed attending his grandchildren's activities, loved summers at the Cape, wagering on the ponies at Saratoga, attending Boston Red Sox games, and taking trips around the world with his wife. In retirement, he enjoyed painting, cooking, and solving the world's problems with his friends over coffee.

Kevin's life is a shining example of the pursuit of the American Dream. From humble beginnings, he helped support his family as a caddy at Wollaston Golf Club where he learned many life lessons. From caddy to member, he would go on to win the prestigious Fallon Cup, one of many tournament victories and an example of his ability to thrive under pressure and to rise to the occasion.

However, it was the sport of hockey that ran through his bloodstream learning the fundamentals of the game playing on the playground freezes around his home in Dorchester. A goalie, he was deprived of several teeth by mischievous pucks while starring at Columbus High and then finishing his playing days at Boston University. He went on to become a sportswriter first for the Patriot-Ledger and then the feature hockey writer for the Boston Globe. He was known as extraordinarily wise and learned in the religion of hockey working in the Bruin Diocese where Bobby Orr was declared a saint. His vivid recall and ability to decipher key moments within the game benefitted his readers during the era of the Big Bad Bruins of the early 1970's. Kevin authored two hockey books, the last with the Esposito brothers, "We Can Teach You to Play Hockey." His hockey wisdom was pursued by NHL coaches and general managers where he would offer his insights and player reviews over lunches. Kevin got a kick out of being the ghost writer for Bobby Orr in a hockey advice column called Dear Bobby and providing Clever Kevin's Pick of the Day handicapping the daily horse races.

While working for the Globe, he moonlighted as the hockey coach at Columbus High School at the young age of 22. He took tremendous pride in the fact that he helped numerous kids with difficult backgrounds go on to college through hockey scholarships. With his help and encouragement poor students would go on to become honor students and captains of their university teams with professional opportunities. Equally as satisfying was the legacy of seeing many of his former players go on to coach top high school, college, and national programs. More importantly, young men would learn life lessons that would push them to be successful and have a meaningful impact on the world.

In 1974, Kevin moved his family from Milton, MA, to Simsbury, CT, following his dream to operate a major league team, joining the New England Whalers, as Vice President of Sales and Public Relations. A very creative mind, he took great pride in designing the Whaler logo and spreading the sport to a new region of hockey followers.

While working for the Whalers, he quickly embraced the community and introduced the Irish Catholic Boston's tradition of St. Patrick's Day by hosting a legendary annual party that wouldn't end until the early hours of the next day featuring his corned beef and cabbage feast. He made lifelong friendships in town overseeing and coaching Simsbury Youth Hockey from its beginnings while leading teams to state and New England championships. During the offseason, he enjoyed golfing at Hop Meadow Country Club where he served as president for two terms.

Shifting his focus to spending time with his growing family, he took his talents to the insurance world as a Corporate Officer of Marketing for Connecticut General. In this role, he connected athletes and major sporting events as entertainment vehicles for key clients. His approach and insights gained him a reputation as a man who marched to the beat of a different drummer which he was very proud of. He would serve a similar role for Golf Digest and then tapped into his entrepreneurial spirit while forming his own company, International Sports & Entertainment. His signature event was promoting and hosting the Davis Cup at the Hartford Civic Center in 1987. He finished his professional career working as a sales manager, revisiting his coaching roots and getting the most out of his sales team.

Kevin spent half his life at the rink and described himself this way: "I'm just an old broken-down goaltender who lost a couple of teeth trying to find out what this game's all about." The old, broken-down goaltender will be dearly missed.

He is survived by Eleanor, his beloved wife; his son Kevin and daughter-in-law Sharon, daughter Katey and son Brian, all of Simsbury, and his nine adored grandchildren Caitlin, Meghan, Sean, Molly, Nora, Emmet, Julia, Maria, and Rocco. He is also survived by his brother, Brian, and sister, Sheila. He was predeceased by his daughter, Karen Walsh, of Simsbury.

A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Mary's Church in Simsbury on Saturday April 22, at 10:00 AM with a celebration of life to follow. There are no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Kevin's name to the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund www.ouimet.org