|
Parade Grand Marshals
Rick Walsh
2008 Saint Patrick's Parade
Grand Marshal
The Manchester St. Patrick’s Parade Committee is proud to announce that Richard T. Walsh, a Vice President at Chase & Durand and a Bedford resident, has been named the Grand Marshal of the 2008 parade.
Walsh, a native of Manchester, attended McDonald School, the parochial school associated with St. Anne’s Church and Bishop Bradley High School. He served in the Marine Corps, including a deployment to Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Upon his return to New Hampshire, Walsh attended what was then New Hampshire College and graduated with a business degree.
After college, Walsh began his career in the insurance industry. That career took him and his family to Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin before he returned to the state for good nearly 20 years ago. He joined the Chase & Durand insurance agency 15 years ago.
For more than 20 years Walsh has been an active member of the state and local Ancient Order of Hibernians organization, the largest Irish Catholic society in the world, with divisions across the United States and with close ties to the AOH in Ireland, Canada, Scotland and Wales. Walsh served as president of the local division as well as the state organization.
According to the national AOH Web site, the initials AOH tell the story best. Those who say it means “Add One Hour” are describing the easygoing, no rush attitude of many of its members, while “America’s Only Hope” has been used to define the loyalty of the Irish to the principles of their adopted land. In any case, its members are best described by the statement, “To be Irish is a Blessing, to be a Hibernian is an Honor.”
According to the formal Grand Marshal nomination: “Rick looked for every opportunity to increase [AOH’s] influence in the community. The originating members started many of the current Irish oriented events. Among those are the Half Way to St. Patrick’s Day road race; Adopt a Family program; the golf tournament to benefit Adopt a Family; and the annual Communion Breakfast celebration at St. Anne’s…. He is the epitome of what it means to be Irish, Catholic and a member of the AOH.”
Walsh has been married to Priscilla (Duquette), also a Manchester native who grew up in Bedford, for 37 years. They have three children and two grandchildren. They are members of St. Elizabeth Seton parish in Bedford.
|
| Marty Quirk |
2007 |
| James J. Sheehan |
2006 |
| Charles J. Quinn |
2005 |
| Sr. Margaret Ahern, RSM |
2004 |
| Louis J. Craig |
2003 |
| George W.Smith |
2002 |
| Robert J. Collins |
2001 |
| Sr. Angie Whidden, RSM |
2000 |
| Tom King |
1999 |
| John "Jumbo" Reilly |
1998 |
| Hon. Martin Loughlin |
1997 |
| Bishop Leo O'Neil |
1996 |
|
|
