William R. Walsh - Obituary

illiam "Bill" Richard Walsh, age 91, passed away on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, at the University of Maryland Midtown Campus Teaching Hospital in Baltimore, MD. He is survived by four daughters, Diana, Karin, Michele, and Nicole, and their spouses, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Born April 20, 1932, Bill grew up in Washington, D.C., and joined the Air Force shortly after graduating high school. He served in Germany, where he met the love of his life, Erika Bader, a talented artist who passed away last year. After Bill's discharge from the Air Force, he and Erika returned to Germany for a thirty-three-year, often clandestine, civil service career with the Department of Defense during the Cold War. During that time, they lived in Munich, Stuttgart, and Bonn, then the capital of West Germany. Upon Bill's retirement in 1992, they moved from Germany to Annapolis, MD, where they spent the next 32 years building their home, enjoying family life, and traveling in the United States and Europe. Knowledgeable in history and a fervent student of history and current events, Bill worked for Three Century Tours from 1997-2010. He researched and conducted fascinating tours of Annapolis, including the United States Naval Academy, Museum Houses and Historical Gardens, while wearing authentic colonial attire. Bill particularly enjoyed groups of schoolchildren and loved to share stories about their interesting, insightful (and often funny) comments and questions. In 2016, Bill and Erika moved to Ocean Pines, Maryland, where they lived just down the street from their eldest daughter, Diana. Bill's health began to weaken some months before his death. It was truly a godsend that he was admitted to the stellar University of Maryland Midtown Campus Hospital for his final days. There, he met Reverend Buba, who introduced Bill to Jesuit Father Brian Frain from Saint Ignatius Catholic Church in Baltimore. Bill was influenced by Jesuit teachings during his youth in Washington, D.C., and found comfort in returning to those beginnings at the end of his life. Father Brian gave great comfort and community to both Bill and his family during this final journey. Bless you, Reverend Buba and Father Frain! Bill will be missed by his family and friends at the Woodlands Community in Ocean Pines. No formal services are planned. Please use the memories tab on this page to leave a message or a condolence for the family.