Joseph Walsh

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 gentle 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 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 contented lives. One of Joe’s final projects was to co-author a book that captured the principles and teachings of Wholeistic Education, and which is titled The Art of Direction. 

Joe was a proud moralist, deep thinker, loving husband, dedicated father, and loyal and honest friend. He was full of love, 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.

The family has established the Joe Walsh Memorial Fund, the proceeds of which will be used to further Joe’s ambitious clinical and educational vision to help children and families in need. If you would like information as to how to make a donation, please contact: joewalshmemorialfund@gmail.com

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