Thomas M. Walsh

Thomas M.  Walsh, 85 years of West Chester, PA, passed away on September 3, 2026, after a short battle with cancer. Born August 9, 1941, in West Chester, PA he was the son of the late Michael Thomas Walsh and the late Selma Willard Walsh. He was the husband of L. Dianne Walsh (Tibbs).

Thomas grew up in Marshalton, and later West Chester, and graduated from West Chester High School (now B. Reed Henderson H. S.) Later he received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Geography from West Chester University.

He taught Social Studies for the Owen J. Roberts School District for 25 years before retiring from teaching in 1988. Upon retirement he became a Commercial REALTOR most recently working for Long & Foster.

Thomas was a member of the United Methodist Church of West Chester, the West Goshen Lions Club, the Chester County Sports Hall of Fame, and several profession organizations. Tom was also founder and Chair of the West Chester Historical Commission and had previously founded the Board of Historical Review, the forerunner of today’s HARB. He also previously served on the Board of the Melton Community Center, the Chester County Agricultural Development Council, the Regional Planning Commission, the West Chester Adult Baseball League, and worked with both the Christian Sanderson Museum and National Iron and Steel Museum. While involved in baseball, he managed the Trans-Materials team (The Big Green) and saw several of his former players go on to play in Major League Baseball. He was voted into the WCABL Hall of Fame in 2005. His service to the Lions Club was exemplary and earned him recognition as both a Melvin Jones Fellow and a Bing Miller Fellow.

Local history and preservation were among his top interests and besides serving as Chair of the West Chester Historical Commission, he was awarded the Legacy Award in 2018 by the West Chester Downtown Foundation for his service to the community. He also taught local history classes and led popular walking tours for Chester County Lifelong Learning night school.

In addition to his wife, Thomas is survived by a daughter, Kristin Brown (Stephen), granddaughters Adeline and Alaina, a brother, James (Mari Fe), and nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by a son, Michael

Relatives and friends are invited to his visitation on Saturday, October 17 2026 from 10-11am at the The United Methodist Church of West Chester, 129 S. High St. Followed by a Memorial Service at 11AM.  A luncheon will follow in the church's Fiesta Center, starting at 12 noon. 

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the United Methodist Church of West Chester, 129 S. High St., West Chester, PA 19382, the West Chester University Foundation and or the Chester County History Center. 

Arrangements by DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home, Inc. of West Chester, PA 610-696-1181; www.DellaFH.com

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