Alexander Hamilton "Sandy" Walsh III

6/2/1931 - 8/1/2025

Hopkinton, N.H. - Alexander Hamilton "Sandy" Walsh III, of Hopkinton, N.H., passed away peacefully Aug. 1, 2025, in the presence of his daughters. He was born in Montclair, N.J., June 2, 1931 to Elizabeth Hunter Walsh and Alexander Walsh Jr.

His early years were spent on the move, as his father served in the U.S. Army during World War II, primarily in India. He spent time in California before moving to Henniker, N.H. as a teenager. He graduated from high school there and subsequently, enrolled at the University of New Hampshire. After three years, he was able to matriculate to Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine (then known as the New York State Veterinary College), graduating in 1957.

On a trip home from vet school, he met Suzanne Auer, a lifetime resident of Hopkinton, N.H., and they married in 1957. He lost Suzi in October 2023, after 66 years of marriage. During that time, they lived in Kentucky, New Hampshire, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Connecticut. He was a practicing veterinarian until 1969, when he returned to school at the University of Wisconsin to take a Ph.D. in veterinary pathology, a fledgling field. This led to his ultimate career as a veterinary pathologist at Pfizer, overseeing animal studies in drug development.

He and Suzi and their daughters, Jeanna and Lissa, moved to Old Saybrook, in 1972, and to Killingworth, in 1982, where he lived until March 2024, when he moved back to Suzi's hometown of Hopkinton, N.H. Over the following year, he accomplished many of his goals, with the help of Jeanna, Lissa, and countless wonderful individuals who helped him realize them. He installed an endless pool, which he had always wanted but was not realistic in a 200 year old farmhouse in Connecticut. He had murals painted throughout his basement, depicting important places and themes from his life. He had a raised-bed garden put in, small by comparison to the gardens he cultivated throughout his life, and meaningful to him. Foremost among the events of his final year was a trip to Switzerland and France to celebrate the 90th birthday of a lifelong friend. Everyone who met him after his move back to New Hampshire delighted in his company and hearing his well-remembered stories.

He is survived by his daughter Jeanna Walsh and her daughter Evelyn Rosso of Concord, N.H.; and daughter Lissa Walsh (Amy Rosenfeld) of Carlisle, Mass.; cousin Jane Hoover and her son Giles of Macon, Ga.; and sister-in-law Sally Auer of Henniker, N.H. and her children. He was predeceased by his parents; and wife Suzi.

It was easy to forget what a brilliant man Papa was, as his intelligence was overshadowed by his kindness, gentleness and curiosity. We are so grateful to have been able to care for him in a fraction of the way he cared for us.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a charitable gift to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (https://www.whoi.edu/).