Oct. 21, 1916 – Jan. 13, 2011

Francis "Frank" Xavier Walsh of Waukesha passed away Thursday, Jan. 13, 2011, at the age of 94. Frank was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Oct. 21, 1916, the son of John and Mary Walsh. Frank served honorably in England during World War II in the Army Air Corps as a bombardier sight instructor. Following the war, Frank graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Science in 1950. He earned a master’s degree from Purdue University in 1951.

While at Syracuse University, he met the love of his life, Mildred Berry. They married Nov. 23, 1949, and recently celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary. They moved to Wisconsin in 1965, where he established a successful executive employment agency, Frank X. Walsh and Co., Inc., which he ran for nearly 20 years.

After retiring, Frank and Mildred enjoyed traveling North America from coast to coast in their motor home. They took a European tour together and brought back wonderful stories of their adventures. Frank also loved to tell stories of growing up in New York – he worked as a Western Union messenger, attended the very first performance of the Radio City Rockettes, swam at Coney Island beach, biked to Long Island for fresh fish, bought his first car at 16 and explored the city via the subway when it was a nickel to ride all day. Frank was always ready with a quick jest or an old song, and reveled in chess games with his son and grandsons.

Frank was preceded in death by his brother, Gerard Walsh, and his son, Dr. Timothy Walsh.

He is survived by his wife, Mildred Walsh of Waukesha; his son, Michael Walsh of Buffalo, Minn.; daughter, Eileen Zore of Bayview; niece, Catherine (John) Black of Feura Bush, N.Y.; and daughter-in-law Katherine Freund of Portland, Maine; and his grandchildren, Alison (Ben) Weiss of Ann Arbor, Mich., Ryan Walsh of Charlotte, N.C., Cora Walsh of New York, N.Y., Eva Walsh of Boston and Logan Walsh of Buffalo.

A funeral Mass will be held at 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 17, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 225 S. Hartwell Ave., Waukesha. The Very Rev. James T. Volkert will be presiding. Interment will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19, at Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Frank’s name are appreciated for the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, 322 Eighth Ave., seventh floor, New York, NY 10001 (www.alzfdn.org).

For further information or directions, please call Randle-Dable Funeral, Cremation and Preplanning Services at 547-4035 or go to www.waukeshafunerals.com to leave an online tribute.