Thomas Walsh

Thomas P. Walsh, longtime resident and political figure in Ottawa, passed away Wednesday, November 19, 2025, attended by his loving family.

Tom was born April 16, 1937, in Ottawa, Illinois to Thomas Walsh and Louise (Rude) Walsh. He was married to Mary Katherine McGann who preceded him in death. He later married Margaret "Peg" Wheatland in 1971 at St. Patrick Church in Ottawa. Tom is survived by Peg, his devoted wife of 54 years; his loving children Greg Walsh of Chicago, Kathleen Walsh Sutton of Indianapolis, IN, Tom (Mabel) Walsh of Baltimore, MD and Pat (Tonya) Walsh of Ottawa; seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his brother, Bill Walsh.

Tom was a kind, respectful man whose life was defined by his family and by helping his entire community as a dedicated public servant. He agreed with George Bernard Shaw, who wrote, "I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can." He had numerous accomplishments during his political career yet always made time for his family and was ever present at his kid's games, events, and activities. His daily routine included listening to LaSalle station WLPO on his transistor radio, attending daily Mass, and reading the Chicago Tribune newspaper. In recent years, Tom was very active as a county board member-attending board meetings several times a week, engaging on a wide array of issues, and working tirelessly on behalf of the people of LaSalle County.

Tom was a 1955 graduate of Marquette High School and faithful member of St. Brigid (Columba) Catholic Church, where he served as an usher for many years. He proudly served in the U.S. Army Reserves and was a member of the American Legion Post 33. He received a Veteran of the Year award from the Ottawa Moose lodge of which he was a member. Tom graduated from Worsham College of Mortuary Science and was a licensed funeral director for sixty years. He also was a member of the Knights of Columbus and AFL-CIO Marseilles Local #445.

Tom had a passion for politics. He served as LaSalle County Clerk and as an Illinois State Representative, and he represented District 20 on the LaSalle County Board. He worked for Congressman George Sangmeister and was instrumental in initiating the Radium Dial project, which continues to this day, by working with the EPA to identify contaminated areas within Ottawa and securing the federal funding to properly restore the contaminated areas. Tom was appointed to and served on the Federal Election Commission as well as the Illinois Board of Elections. Throughout his career, he was passionately committed to voter registration. In the 1970s, Tom initiated the shift from ordinary paper ballots for voting to the use of IBM punch cards, an important innovation for the voting process. Tom was particularly proud of his legislative successes as a state representative, including increasing veterans' benefits and toughening DUI laws.

Visitation will be Monday, November 24th from 4 – 7 p.m. at Gladfelter-Roetker Funeral Home. Another visitation will be Tuesday, November 25th from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m., followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. at St. Columba Catholic Church in Ottawa. Interment will follow in St. Columba Cemetery with Military Honors by the Ottawa American Legion Post 33 Honor Guard. Pallbearers will be Curtis Gorski, Jack Sutton, Thomas Walsh, Bill Walsh, Jr., R.G. McGann and Tom Durdan.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the St. Brigid Church Restoration Fund, Marquette High School, or Meals on Wheels. To share a memory, please visit www.gladfelter-roetker.com or Gladfelter-Roetker Funeral Home on Facebook.