Toby Sarah Walsh

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Walsh, Toby Sarah Passed away Thursday, Sept. 16, at age 86, three days shy of her next birthday, after a brief but brave battle with COVID-19. Toby was raised by Rae and George Katz in Detroit, Mich., where she graduated from Cooley High School. She was a proud daughter of the Motor City, no matter where life took her, whether to the nearby suburbs, or retirement in New Mexico and ultimately Minnesota to be closer to her son and his family. She loved all things Detroit: visiting Belle Isle, shopping at J.L. Hudson, drinking Vernors soda pop, all of their sports teams but none more than her Detroit Tigers. Going back to the late 1930s, she was as big a Tigers fan as could be found. Raised in a Jewish household, she busted with pride about slugger Hank Greenberg. Then came the remarkable Tigers' run in 1968 to the World Series championship. The family scraped up enough money from their hand- to-mouth existence and went to 20 games that year. Fellow Detroiter Willie Horton was her favorite, of course. As she took her last breaths Thursday, Toby laid in her hospital bed and listened to YouTube videos of the Tigers' march to baseball glory playing over her son's cellphone held close to her ear. Toby had other passions in her life as well: Support for the Labor Movement as a member and organizer for the United Auto Workers and other unions in the 1960s and 1970s. She dedicated time to a no-kill animal shelter in Las Cruces, and was a rabid fan of Michigan Wolverines football. "Hail to the Victors" was her cellphone ringtone. At her final residence, The Lodge in White Bear Lake, she showed great concern and compassion for the staff and others who lived there. She enjoyed conversations about a whole host of topics and at times would share the accomplishments of her grandchildren. Toby is preceded in death by her husband, Charles "Chick" Walsh, and brother James Katz. She is survived by her brother Jay Katz, of San Ramon, Calif., son Paul Walsh (Pamela Huey), of Edina; grandchildren Sarah Devereaux (Paul), of Boulder, Colo.; Benjamin Walsh, of St. Louis Park; and Anthony Walsh, of St. Paul; granddaughters Emma and Evie, of Boulder, and several nieces and nephews. Memorials are preferred to the Jewish National Fund Tree Center, Your Voice in Israel; or the Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary (shaspets.com) in Las Cruces, N.M. Special thanks to the staff at United Hospital in St. Paul, where she received tender and comforting care in her final days, and to the staff at The Lodge in White Bear Lake for making Toby so welcome for so many years. Due to COVID concerns, a memorial gathering to celebrate Toby's life is pending. Washburn-McReavy.com Edina Chapel 952-920-3996

Published on September 19, 2021