Joseph M. Walsh

Walsh, Joseph M.

Joseph M. Walsh, 72, of Orangeburg, NY and formerly of Woodcliff Lake, NJ and CEO and Chairman of Curtis Circulation Company and owner of The Stadium Sports Memorabilia Bar and Restaurant, passed away Friday, January 15, 2016 at 4:18pm after his heroic battle with pancreatic cancer.

A proud native of the Bronx and first-generation Irish American, whose parents came from Cork, Ireland, Walsh attended Cardinal Hayes High School in Manhattan. He later attended Iona College and graduated with a major in Accounting and a minor in Philosophy in 1964. In October of that same year, he and his wife, Theresa Walsh (nee Vericker), were married and together they have five children: Joseph, Jr., Matthew (Laura), Teresa Ann (Steven), John (Emilie) and James (Christina). Over the years they were blessed with fifteen grandchildren: Ryan, Michael, Kate, Colin, Sean, Erin, Aidan, John Patrick, Nicole, Kellie Rose, Christopher, Nicholas, Joseph, Juliana and Gabriella.

Upon graduating from college, he joined the accounting firm, KPMG, where he became a CPA. In 1970, he left to join Cadence Industries Corporation, as President of Curtis Circulation Company. In 1974, he was promoted to Executive Vice President of Cadence. During his tenure at Cadence, Walsh held the position of President for various Cadence subsidiaries: U.S. Pencil and Stationery; Systems for Health; Hudson Pharmaceutical Company; and Perfect Subscription Companies. He remained with Cadence until its sale of Curtis Circulation Company to Hachette Distribution Services (Lagardère) in June 1986. Walsh retained partial ownership of Curtis Circulation Company.

In 1982, Walsh became Chairman and CEO of Curtis. Under his dynamic leadership skills, unparalleled work ethic and innovative vision, Curtis was catapulted into becoming the industry's leading national distributor.

Walsh was passionately devoted to the betterment of society, education, and Irish-American affairs. To this end, he was instrumental in the formation, funding, and support of numerous charitable organizations. Amongst these were the Irish-American Partnership, the Irish-American Unity Conference, the establishment of the "Walsh Family Endowed Collection in Irish Studies" at Fairfield University and the University of Notre Dame, the founding (along with other single copy industry members) of the Monsignor Robert Fox Memorial Shelter for battered women and their children in Harlem, NY, and, what was one of his most beloved organizations - Project Children, an organization that brought 25,000 children to the U.S. from Northern Ireland for a four-week holiday. He and his family's tireless work with this organization contributed to the long awaited peace accord in Northern Ireland in 1998.

In May 2011, Walsh was presented with the Ellis Island Medal of Honor for his humanitarian contributions and dedication to the population at large and unfaltering patriotism to our nation.

Walsh was an avid sports fan. As a young teenager he began collecting newspaper clippings documenting sports records broken the day before. This early passion later led to a vast, world-class collection of sports memorabilia, the majority of which is on display at The Stadium, in Garrison, NY, which opened in April 1999.

Walsh had other passions. These included an intense interest in history, political science and traveling.

But most of all he loved spending time with family and friends.

A Funeral Mass will be held Wednesday, 10am, at St. Anthony's Church with burial to follow at St. Anthony's Cemetery, both in Nanuet, NY. Visiting hours will be Monday, 7-9pm and Tuesday, 2-4 and 7-9pm at the Moritz Funeral Home in Tappan, NY. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Project Children, a registered 501(c)(3) Non-profit organization, located at PO Box 933, Greenwood Lake, NY 10925.

Moritz Funeral Home

98 Route 303 South

Tappan, NY 10983

(845) 359-0890

www.moritzfh.com