Official Shawn Walsh Memory Thread

[saltydog]

The following was written on the Shawn Walsh Rememberance
Wall today:

"With all of the trouble in the world it seems that God needed the help of a great coach."

[Jimbo]

RIP Shawn. The game we all love has lost a great coach. My sincere condolances to the Walsh family and the Black Bear family.

[Good Slur]

In retrospect, I don't believe Shawn Walsh lost his battle with cancer, he just ran out of time.

[TA Jen]

I was truly saddened to hear of this. My heart goes out to his family and fans. A great loss to hockey, and much too soon.

[walrus]

The local NBC affiliate just ran their local 6 o' clock news with Shawn being the primary focus. Very touching, interviews from throughout his career including one he did in July. Wish I'd taped it. God Speed Shawn.

[kellyd2727]

Wow!!!!!!!! I have to say that all of us coming together to pay our respects to Walshy is just plain awesome!!!!!!!! Even though we all heckled Walshy at some point, we all loved him. He will be sorely missed at the Tsongas this year.

[RoyBoy]

I believe the hockey world would love too see Shawn Walsh on the cover of Sports Illustrated for his dedication and love for the game. He was a man with a dream, not only for him self, but for the players and the hockey fans. A man that gave so much too the sport of hockey and asked so little. A man that taught his players and the fans the love of the game and that hard work does pay off. A man that knows the true meaning of teamwork. For the love of the game.

He lived this life through the eyes of the players, not only this own, but all that crossed his path. He was a coach, he was an idol, he was a player, he was a friend to all of us in the Hockey community.

God may have taken Shawn from us, but he will live on in our hearts and in your dreams as one of the greatest coaches of all times.

[saltydog]

A cool crisp autumn day in Maine. The sun was shining brightly through the stained galss windows of St. John's Church in Bangor, ME. The kind of day that reminds you that college hockey is just around the corner.

!,000 ++ people filled the pews of this Roman Catholic church to pay tribute to one of the finest human beings to ever call the state of Maine home. And Shawn did. Maine was his home. He loved it here. And we loved him.

Thank you Shawn for giving this state something to be proud of. You. You made us proud. We hope that you find forever lasting peace. God bless you and may God bless and protect your wife and children. GO BLUE!!!

[MikeM]

It was a wonderful tribute to him. Through two and a half hours it ran the gamut of emotions. I suspect each of the 1,000-plus laughed and cried at some point during the Mass. I wished everyone could have been there. Especially those who may have only known him from afar.

I wish I could remember everything but here are some of the things that I do remember and that I think people would enjoy hearing.

During the homily, the priest (I do not know his name) began on a somber note, then said that right now, Shawn is probably "telling God the way he thinks things should be run." That was the first of what turned out to be a number of times that people were able to laugh in remembrance of him.

The priest also spoke about how Shawn could not speak in his last days and had to write his thoughts on paper. One hospital employee came in to perform some tests and was clearly in a bad mood. Shawn asked for a pen and paper and wrote, "Why are you so negative?" The man grew sad and told him that his son, I think it was, had been in the same intensive care unit a year earlier and had not made it, and his name was also Shawn. Shawn then wrote: "Let it go."

Ten people got up to give their reflections. One of them was Shawn's brother, Barry, an accomplished pianist who did not speak, instead he played "Shenandoah" and let his fingers express his feelings beautifully.

Shawn's sister, Patty Walsh Widerman, talked about how as kids, Shawn was always the one who organized the kickball teams, baseball teams, and everything else that needed organizing.

Ted Sator told a very funny story about when Shawn arrived at Bowling Green and got involved organizing a softball team. He signed up a bunch of BG baseball players "who had been drafted by the major leagues". They won the championship with the ringers by a score of 21-2.

Ted started off by saying that when he met Shawn, "unlike most people, I liked him right away." That drew some laughs. Later Alan Miller, one of Shawn's close friends, said that he met Shawn on a golf course when he first arrived at Maine in 1984. He said Shawn's first words were, "Hi, I'm Shawn Walsh, what's your handicap and how much do you want to play for?" Then he said, "I *didn't* like him at first," which also drew a lot of laughs. He went on to talk about their relationship and described a card game where Shawn lost some money and got up and threw the cards at him in anger. The next morning he got a phone call -- it was Shawn. "Wasn't that a great card game last night?"

Grant Standbrook: "Shawn lived a long, fulfilling life -- in a short period of time."

Peter Metcalf: "People say Coach lost his battle with cancer. He didn't lose. He just didn't win."

Brendan Walsh, one of the coach's many reclamation projects over the years, told how Shawn said he was happy to have him because "now when I hear from the stands, 'Walsh, you stink!', I'll know it's not me."

Brendan also drew quite a bit of laughs when he told a story about Shawn trying to land a recruit. Shawn took him aside and said, "We really need to get this kid, he's a forestry major, talk to him about how great our forestry program is." Brendan said, "But Coach, I'm a comm major." Not to mention Brendan is from Dorchester, Mass., and "I've never been in a forest in my life." Shawn tried again, "Isn't your roommate a forestry major?" Finally, "Well, tell him what great trees we have!"

Kevin Walsh, Shawn's younger brother, closed the reflections and read a letter he found in Shawn's office from Kelly Miller, who played for Michigan State when Shawn was an assistant coach there. He had just played his 1,000th NHL game, after having been a seventh round pick, and had never played a game in the minors, and he had written to Shawn thanking him for believing in him and helping him be who he was. Then Kevin said he knew there were a lot of other guys there who could say the same thing. He said he never knew a more inspirational person in his life and finished with, "Shawn, you're my hero."

He touched so many people, so many who were there and could not be there, that I hope his family can take some solace at this difficult time in knowing that he made a difference for so many.

This is the first time I have posted here on this subject since Monday. I wish to express my sincere feelings of sorrow and sympathy to everyone at Maine, in Maine, and everyplace else who feels this loss. It will be difficult to think of Maine hockey without him there behind the bench. But while it is true as some have said that he was Maine hockey and Maine hockey was him, it is also true that he built a legacy that will outlive him and live on. In the players past and present who carry what he taught them into their personal and professional lives. In the way that he showed us how to deal with adversity and even our own mistakes and how to bounce back from all of this and never stop trying to be the best we can be -- it is never too late. And in the many people who make up the Maine hockey family and will ensure that the good work he started and inspired them to do, will continue.

If we are sad, it is only because we feel he was taken from us too soon. But it is only because of the impact he had on so many that we feel that way at all. That is why his life is something to celebrate.

Godspeed, Shawn. If you get the big guy's ear for a minute, put in a good word for us. Not that we would expect anything otherwise from you.

[Olddog]

Mike ..

Great post .. thank you from those of us that couldn't make it.

Olddog

[Maine Pudge]

****....I really wish i coulda made it. Sounds like if I were there a time I wouldn't soon forget. I'm sure he'll be there for all the games, just watching from a different perspective. Go Maine, win it for Shawn.

-andy

[kellyd2727]

Mike, Thanks so very much for your thread about Walshy's Service. Sounds like it was very fitting of Coach. Wow! If SI doesn't give him a cover in the next few weeks, then I'm shocked. He rightfully deserves the cover of SI. I think they should rename the Lamiorello Cup the Shawn Walsh Cup. A fitting tribute for a fitting Coach.

[Good Slur]

Great post, Mike. THANK YOU!

As we mourn the passing of Walsh, let's not forget to celebrate his life.

[rufus]

nice recollection mike. there's also a couple of good stories on the portland press herald website.

i had thought about attending, but a couple of things made me stay home. first, i had to work.:( and second, i just felt it more appropriate that the service be for people who knew and were closer to shawn than i was; his family and friends, his players, and his peers in the hockey world.

hopefully i will get the time off and be able to attend the memorial the university is preparing for next wednesday.

[Bainsey]

I want to take this opportunity to give public kudos to Mike for an outstanding and heart-felt recap on Shawn's funeral. Mike captured the essence beautifully at a ceremony where I can't remember feeling such an array of emotions.

We had a moment of silence last night for the 8,000 fans at the Maine/James Madison football game, and the Maine players sported "W"s on the back of their helmets. It wasn't easy for this P.A. announcer to read the text that led to the moment of silence, but I managed to get through it stumble-free. I'm still not sure how.

(BTW...Maine 13, JMU 3)

[Greenie]

Last night those in Munn Arena in East Lansing,Michigan paused to pay tribute to Shawn Walsh with a moment of silence. During that time I flashed-back to vivid memories of Shawn from his days with the Spartans. His competitive nature, combined with his ability to relate to everyone around him in a positive manner, helped the community, the hockey program, and many young men excel. We were lucky to have known Shawn and my son's were blessed to have felt his influence in their lives. He helped to build solid skills and mental foundations in young athletes that have served them well as they progressed. Shawn is sorely missed as the hockey family has lost a favored son.

[MikeM]

There was one other story I forgot to mention yesterday. Shawn's sister, Patty, told how Shawn used to hide his radio under his pillow and listen to games and keep baseball stats in a notebook. Then she said, "And you thought Mom and Dad didn't know. But they knew."

It struck me because that's exactly what I used to do when I was little. For baseball, hockey, whatever. That's how I heard the Celtics' legendary triple overtime win over Phoenix in the NBA finals in 1976, Darryl Sittler's ten point game for Toronto against the Bruins, etc. With my little yellow Panasonic AM radio. Always worried that my mom and dad were going to find out and take it away, but worried more of not knowing what was going on.

It is too bad that we only hear about some of these things after he is gone, but nice that we are able to hear about them at all.

[Bainsey]

Here's a link to the Bangor Daily News article on Shawn's funeral.
Larry Mahoney is the author.

http://www.bangornews.com/editorialnews/article.html?ID=42350

[kellyd2727]

Bainsey,

Thanks for the link. That was an awesome article.

[BlackBearBobby]

These are some editorials about Shawn Walsh in the Bangor Daily News.


http://www.bangordailynews.com/editorialnews/sports/umaine/index.html