Brian John Walsh

Brian John Walsh, age 67, passed away on July 21, 2024 after a long battle with Young Onset Alzheimer’s Disease. 

He was born on October 22, 1956 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to Mike and Kay (Engler) Walsh. He grew up on Alpine Street in Dubuque, Iowa with his five siblings Mick, Becky, Ed, Mary and Tim. He attended Nativity Grade School and graduated from Wahlert Catholic High School in 1975. He was a track star and football king! He loved family vacations to the lake in Minnesota and hanging out with his brothers and good friends fishing on the Mississippi River and listening to rock ‘n’ roll music.

Brian was a fraternity brother of Tau Kappa Epsilon and graduated from the University of Iowa in May 1980. He became a lifelong Iowa Hawkeye Fan, always decked out in his best Black & Gold. Brian proudly flew his Iowa Hawkeye flag and never passed up a chance to tailgate or celebrate an Iowa victory of any sort.  A professor of all the things he found fascinating, Brian was a magnet for intellectual conversation and discovery.  His career was spent traveling the globe as a process engineer in the chemical industry which allowed him to use his great intelligence. 

Brian was traveling through Dallas, Texas in January 1983 when he was rescued from a blind date gone awry by his soon to be wife Courtney. It was his wild brown curly hair and piercing blue eyes that captivated her and his humble, kind and gentle nature that instantly won her heart. They welcomed a son Jamison in 1984 in Des Moines, Iowa and another son Nicholas in 1986 in Omaha, NE and then set off for many adventures moving across country and back every few years. There were stops in Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania before finally settling in Colorado in 1995. 

Watching his boys grow up and spending time camping, canoeing, fishing and hiking brought Brian so much joy. He loved watching them wrestle, play rugby and football, and Friday nights under the lights at the Stutler Bowl were magical times. He watched with pride as his sons flew solo flights, presented the colors at Rockies Games and the State Capital, and built a 13 ft. rocket in their Civil Air Patrol Squadron – Valkyrie Cadet. He cried when his oldest son Jamison went off to boot camp at Lackland AFB and then deployed to Iraq with his COANG unit. He cried when he drove away from dropping his youngest son Nicholas off at the University of Iowa freshman year, proclaiming aloud that he and Courtney had come full circle. Married in Iowa City, and now driving away to be empty nesters from Iowa City on I-80 back to Colorado. Brian and Courtney made that long drive home sharing memories and counting every blessing of those first 18 years. 

The best was still to come. Jamison came home safely from Iraq, graduated from college and met Lauren. Nicholas came home to finish college at CU Boulder and play rugby and met Kati, and then went off to Quinnipiac to become a P.A. Brian and Courtney survived two weddings: in 2010 Jamison and Lauren and 2019 Nicholas and Kati. They became grandparents with the birth of: Elijah Michael 2011, Madeleine Anne 2012, Cecilia Jean 2014, Matthew Burke 2016, Emiliana Josephine 2018 and John Albert in 2020. Six beautiful blessings that Brian could not have been more joyful about. He loved being their Pappy! He loved every sports game, dance recital, music performance and family gatherings when the whole family could all be together. Brian always reflected how grateful he was for all the many blessings of the second 18 years of he and his wife’s lives together.

Sadly, the last five years the family had to work much harder to keep the joy in perspective to the heartache of watching Brian battle young onset Alzheimer’s disease. He fought with courage and determination and was deeply loved through it all. They are blessed with faith in God and in the constant support of friends at Dementia Together and in their Young Onset Support group. Courtney and Brian are forever grateful they have friends they’ve known and loved for years who saw their needs and surrounded them with so much prayer and support. The family extends deep appreciation for Brian’s caregiver Terri Bond and all of the care team throughout their journey. 

Brian is preceded in death by his father, Michael Burke Walsh and survived by his mother Kay Walsh of West Des Moines, Iowa, his Brothers Mick Walsh (Kristine), Ed Walsh (Cheri), Dr. Tim Walsh (Anne) and sisters Becky Amaro (Luis) and Mary Cutler (Doug), alongside many loving nieces and nephews. 

He is also survived by his wife Courtney Walsh, Son Jamison Walsh (Lauren), Son Nicholas Walsh (Kati) and six grandchildren Eli, Maddie, Ceci, Matthew, Emmy and John Walsh. 

Services will include a Visitation with Family/ Open House - Saturday August 17, 2024 from 10am – 12pm at Adamson Life Celebration Home, 2000 47th Ave Greeley CO 80634.  A Holy Rosary & Funeral Mass will be held Thursday Sept 12, 2024 at 10:30am at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church, 1250 7th St Windsor CO 80550 with a reception to follow in the Parish Hall. Private inurnment will be held at a later date at Mt. Olivet Catholic Cemetery, 12801 W. 44th Ave Wheatridge CO 80033. 

If you wish to honor Brian with a charitable donation, he would like you to support “Dementia Together” www.dementiatogether.org or it can be sent in care of Adamson, 2000 47th Ave., Greeley, CO 80634.  Condolences may be shared at AdamsonCares.com.