Obituary: Josephine (Giusti) Walsh - Class of 1937

 COLUMBUS/ FALL RIVER - Josephine Walsh, age 92, passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, at the Columbus Community Hospital. She was born in Madison, on Sept. 18, 1919, to George and Jenny (Metranga) Giusti. She grew up in the Italian Greenbush neighborhood, and was proud to be the daughter of one of the founders of the Italian Workmen's Club. She graduated from Central High School in 1937. On July 4, 1952, she married Clarence Walsh and they settled in Madison. In 1957, they moved to rural Columbus, where they raised four children. Josephine was a patient, loving and devoted mother, always seen in the audience offering encouragement during her children's many athletic or musical events. She was a long-time member of St. Columbkille Catholic Church in the Town of Elba, where she taught Catechism and served on the Altar Society. She had worked at both Stokely Van Camp in Columbus, as a first-aid technician, and the Wisconsin Cheeseman in Sun Prairie. She enjoyed reading, especially biographies. She had a life-long love of the movies - as a young girl, shows at the downtown Madison theaters were a favorite, inexpensive Depression-era escape. Those lucky enough to sit at her table were treated to sumptuous meals - she could make anything from wild game, to a perfect roast chicken, to the world's greatest lemon pie. She loved to travel, visiting Switzerland twice to see her dear friends, Mary and Martin Steiner. She also sat on the beach in the Bahamas and got a kiss from Wayne Newton in Las Vegas. She was a die-hard Packers and Badgers football fan, and spent the last Sunday of her life cheering on her Packers from a hospital bed. She is survived by her husband, Clarence, of Columbus; two sons, Greg (Tanna) of Sylvania, Ohio, and Tim (Agnes Chwae) of Madison; a daughter, Karen (James Berbee) Walsh of Madison; a sister, Rosella Sager of Sacramento, Calif.; her two beloved granddaughters, Caitlin (Sam) Evans of Perrysburg, Ohio, and Megan Walsh Rodgers (Joe) of Fairview Park, Ohio; many other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her son, Jonathan in 1973; granddaughter, Theresa Walsh in 1993; her parents; two brothers, Sam Giusti and Tony Justo; three sisters, Saveria Stassi, Jenny Giusti and Ann Spada; other relatives. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, at ST. COLUMBKILLE CATHOLIC CHURCH, W10802 County Highway TT, Columbus. The Rev. Rick Wendell will officiate. Interment will be in the church cemetery at a later date. Visitation will be from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 23, 2012, at the funeral home. There will be no visitation at the church prior to Mass. Josephine's family would like to especially thank the staff of the Meadows Assisted Living Apartments, Dr. Sam Poser and the Columbus Community Hospital for their caring and support during her final months. Jensen Funeral & Cremation Columbus .

Originally published in the Wisconsin State Journal on January 20, 2012 (submitted by Michael Vahldieck, Class of 1968)