[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 25, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E246]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING THE LIFE OF HUBERT WALSH

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JIM COSTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 25, 2014

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Mr. Hubert 
Walsh, known to many as ``Hub,'' who passed away on February 10, 2014, 
at the age of 89. Hub's service to our nation and his contributions to 
the community of Merced are countless and deeply appreciated.
  Born January 16, 1925, in Blue Ridge, Texas, Hub was the youngest of 
eight children. Hub worked hard to help make ends meet for his single 
mother and his siblings by working on farms and picking cotton. In 
1943, he graduated from Anna High School and enlisted in the United 
States Army, where he served his country in World War II. After three 
years of service in France, the Ardennes, the Rhineland and Central 
Europe, Mr. Walsh was honorably discharged in January 1946. Not long 
after his discharge, Hub enlisted in the United States Air Force where 
he served in historic operations, including the Berlin Air Lift, the 
Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Vietnam War.
  In 1946, Hub met his future wife, Mary Elizabeth Worthen, while 
stationed in Rockwell, New Mexico. They met over the Thanksgiving 
holiday while traveling on the same bus to visit their respective 
families, and soon they began dating. One day after Christmas in 1947, 
they married and spent the next 63 years together. Hub and Mary had 
three children together and lived in 20 homes in six states, finally 
settling in the Central Valley.
  After retiring from the U.S. Air Force in 1969, Mr. Walsh attended 
Merced College and Stanislaus State University. Hub was a dedicated 
servant of the local community of Merced, where he worked as a 
substitute teacher for Merced City Schools and Merced High School. In 
addition, he was a devout Christian and served as a deacon in the 
Southern Baptist Church.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of 
Mr. Hubert Walsh. He was a pillar of our community who will be greatly 
missed.