Thomas “Tommy” Walsh was memorialized on Saturday with the dedication of a bench in his honor in the 8400 block of Germantown Avenue. A plaque on the bench bestows on him the title of “beloved honorary mayor of Chestnut Hill.”
A crowd of family and friends participated in the ceremony and remembered him fondly. Walsh, 63, a lifelong Chestnut Hill resident, died peacefully of natural causes on Feb. 21.
Born with Down syndrome, he would prove to be special in every way, and seemed to affect all who met him. Mary Thorell, Walsh’s sister, told the Local, “Tom was so wonderful. …
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Thomas “Tommy” Walsh was memorialized on Saturday with the dedication of a bench in his honor in the 8400 block of Germantown Avenue. A plaque on the bench bestows on him the title of “beloved honorary mayor of Chestnut Hill.”
A crowd of family and friends participated in the ceremony and remembered him fondly. Walsh, 63, a lifelong Chestnut Hill resident, died peacefully of natural causes on Feb. 21.
Born with Down syndrome, he would prove to be special in every way, and seemed to affect all who met him. Mary Thorell, Walsh’s sister, told the Local, “Tom was so wonderful. He was truly the glue that held us five siblings all together.”
Walsh was a gentle soul who volunteered for many Chestnut Hill organizations and businesses, including the Chestnut Hill Local, for several decades. When he contributed his time to the Local, his cheerfulness improved everybody’s day. As noted in a family tribute, “If you’ve been a regular on the Avenue the last 50 years, you surely know Tom.
“He had the wonder, joy and acceptance of a child, and he kept it for all of his 63 years. He made the world a better place. He will be forever missed, never forgotten.”
