[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 6 (Tuesday, January 18, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H232]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       HONORING WILLIAM FRANCIS WALSH, FORMER MEMBER OF CONGRESS

  (Ms. BUERKLE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. BUERKLE. Madam Speaker, I wish to inform the House of 
Representatives that on January 8, 2011, central New York lost a great 
friend, and this august body lost a former Member, William Francis 
Walsh.
  William Walsh, World War II veteran, former mayor of Syracuse, and 
Member of this House of Representatives from 1973 to 1979, passed away 
at his home in Marcellus, New York, at the age of 98.
  Mr. Walsh played a significant role in the shaping of the political 
landscape of central New York for more than 30 years. He returned home 
from World War II, during which he served as an Army captain, and 
completed graduate studies at the University of Buffalo in social work.
  His training and experience as a social worker would provide him with 
a values reference point for his future political career. In 1959, 
voters elected him to the post of County Welfare Commissioner. Over the 
course of his political career, he consistently demonstrated his 
compassion for the less fortunate, and he was instrumental in 
developing welfare-to-work programs.
  William Walsh was elected mayor of the City of Syracuse in 1961 and, 
during his tenure, supervised widespread major changes to the Syracuse 
downtown.
  Syracusans remember Bill Walsh for his approachability and his 
emphasis on constituent service. That attention to the needs of the 
constituents served the district residents well when Mr. Walsh became a 
Member of Congress in 1973.
  Bill Walsh loved Syracuse. The child of Irish immigrants, Michael and 
Mary Alice Walsh, Bill Walsh always remained connected to the community 
he grew up in. His strong sense of community colored his commitment to 
public service, and he passed that commitment on to his children. He 
and his wife, the late Mary Dorsey Walsh, raised seven children. Their 
son Jim Walsh served in Congress from 1989 to 2009. Two of their other 
children, Bill Walsh and Martha Walsh Hood, currently serve as Onondaga 
County judges.
  Mr. Walsh enjoyed hunting, golf, and outdoors. Most importantly, 
though, he was a devoted father who spent time with his children 
teaching them about life, people, and public service. He will be 
greatly missed by his family, friends, and the Syracuse community.

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