It is with deep sadness that we share news about the passing of Joe Walsh, following his 11-year battle against Multiple Systems Atrophy (Parkinsonism), a rare degenerative neurological disorder affecting his body’s involuntary functions, including blood pressure, breathing, bladder function and motor control.
Hope Strengthens had the honor of connecting with Joe and his wife Lindsay this summer and we were able to provide specialized equipment and support that helped both Joe and Lindsay.
We are continuing to work with Lindsay to assist with legacy care needs, including funeral expenses for Joe. If you’d like to contribute to support these efforts, you may make a contribution at the following link:
www.hopestrengthens.org/donations
Joe positively impacted the lives of so many, especially through his leadership and counseling efforts dedicated to the care, welfare, and educational achievement of children and youth.
Joe will be greatly missed. We will do our part to ensure his memory and positive spirit lives on through our work to help others.
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Obituary
Joseph Walsh, 55, of Nashua, NH, passed away on the evening of Sunday, 10/25, at home surrounded by his closest family and friends.
Joe’s passion for life was remarkable despite living with advancing Parkinsonism over the past few years. His many hobbies, especially Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, traditional woodworking, and building electric guitars and amplifiers, seemed designed to defy this debilitating disease. He could be found late into the night in his small workshop building beautiful gifts for loved ones—boxes, altars, tables and guitars, a massive speaker cabinet carved out of a single piece of walnut alongside a hand-wired guitar amplifier. He continued his other great passion, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, for many years after his diagnosis, and received his purple belt in 2014.
Joe was a proud obsessive and contrarian. Each year he would revise and widely disseminate an essay titled “Tom Brady—The Most Overrated Player in NFL History” which, in its latest iteration, was over 40 pages. He was also a scholar and fanatic of all things Led Zeppelin. Surviving recordings of his high school bands, such as Maiden Slain, show-off an uncanny Robert Plant imitation, too.
Out of his many talents and interests, the thing he was proudest of was being an educator. He was a counselor for many years, beginning in 1993, at Nashua Children’s Home, and more recently was the co-owner and program director of Direction Behavioral Health Associates, an intensive outpatient program for children and adolescents in Nashua, New Hampshire. Over the years he developed a parenting philosophy which he called Wholeistic Education. Many parents and children continue to use these principles to live more disciplined, harmonious, and content lives. One of Joe’s final projects was to co-author a book that captured the principles and teachings of Wholeistic Education, entitled The Art of Direction.
Joe was a proud moralist, deep thinker, loving husband, dedicated father, and loyal and honest friend. He was full of joy, humor, a tremendous lust for life, and a desire to connect, create, think, discuss, and explore.
He was predeceased by his beloved parents, Ed and Ann Walsh, and his biological mother, Judy Maitland. He is survived by his wife, Lindsay Harrison Goldstein, his loving and devoted caregiver throughout his illness, his children Lake Walsh, Faith Walsh, and Leelannee Welty, his biological father, Father Ralph Haddix, his siblings Sharon Walsh, Dennis Walsh, and Donna Glennon, his dearest friend and mentor Patrick Dethridge, and numerous beloved nieces and nephews, friends, family members, and former clients, many of whom were able to visit in his final few days.
Now all I’ve got for you
Is the kind of love
That cuts clean through
All I got for you is razor love
It cuts clean through
-Neil Young