John Vincent Walsh, Jr.

John “Jack” Vincent Walsh, Jr., 93, of Dunwoody, Georgia, passed away the evening of August 21, 2025, just hours after receiving the last rites from Father Michael Silloway of All Saints Catholic Church.

A lifelong, devout Catholic and Boston Red Sox fan, Jack was born November 24, 1931, to Flora and John Vincent Walsh, Sr., in Whitinsville, Massachusetts. He graduated from Northbridge High School in Whitinsville in 1949 and from Lowell Textile Institute (now UMass Lowell) with a degree in textile engineering in 1953.

Upon graduation, he purchased his first Cadillac and secured his first engineering job at the Pensacola, Florida, plant of Chemstrand (now Monsanto) — at the time, the largest manufacturer of synthetic fiber in the world. Known as Cadillac Jack around the plant, the successful engineer from New England caught the eye of Secretary Georgiana “Georgie” Augusta Boda, who captured his heart. Jack and Georgie married on March 2, 1957, at St. Stephen Roman Catholic Church in her hometown of Pensacola.

The Walsh union produced three children and moved twice with Monsanto—from Pensacola to Decatur, Alabama, and then to their final destination in their beloved neighborhood and among their neighbors in Village Mill of Dunwoody, Georgia, in 1972. After 47 years of marriage, numerous friendships formed, and plenty of tennis matches played, Georgie passed away in 2004. Always innovative and fearing Jack would while away his days watching sports rather than more enterprising efforts, Georgie convinced a neighbor to contact Jack after her death to volunteer at (now Emory) St. Joseph’s Hospital in Sandy Springs. Jack volunteered and, several years later, met another St. Joe’s volunteer, Joyce Melhorn. The former Ole Miss majorette brought much joy to Jack’s life in his later years, and Joyce hugged him until he took his final breath.

Jack’s family and friends will forever remember his quick wit, sly humor, and wise counsel. His notorious Daddisms, “gotta watch you like a hawk,” “when my ship comes in,” and “don’t be a spilla (spiller),” were legendary. While he always retained his Boston accent, he was sincerely at heart a son of the South — enjoying country music, conservatism, and not having to shovel snow. He never moved back North, never wanted to. Socially adept, kind, and a lively conversationalist, he fostered decades-long friendships with many of whom he outlasted, but never forgot. From his golf foursome of Three Jacks and a Ted to the Circle Group at All Saints to the ROMEOs (Retired Old Men Eating Out), he treasured them all to the end.

Jack is survived by his daughter Lisa Shivers (husband, Pete); daughter Christy Love (husband, Mark); and son John Walsh (wife, Susan); grandsons, Forrest Shivers, David Love, Kevin Love, and Andrew “Drew” Walsh; granddaughter Alison Walsh Mahoney; great-grandson Jacob “Jake” Love; and mountains of junk mail.

The funeral Mass will be held on Tuesday, September 2, at 10:00 AM with a reception to follow at St. Jude’s the Apostle Catholic Church, 7171 Glenridge Dr., Sandy Springs, GA 30328.

In memory of Jack Walsh, donations may be made to All Saints Catholic Church, 2443 Mount Vernon Rd., Dunwoody, GA 30338. Memo: In Honor of Jack Walsh