Wendy Butler Walsh, 80, of Agawam, MA, recently of Northampton, and formerly of Madison, CT, peacefully passed away on February 22, 2025, surrounded by family. Wendy was born at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton on September 22, 1944, daughter of the late John Parker and Alice Remington (Remi) Butler.
Wendy graduated from Northampton School for Girls in 1962 and then attended the University of Massachusetts, where she received a Bachelors in English. She continued her education at Southern Connecticut State University, receiving a Masters in Education.
Wendy was a paraprofessional at Daniel Hand High School in Madison for many years. She was loved by her students not only for her excellent tutoring skills, but for her kindness, patience, and constant support, particularly in the areas of English and Math. During summers and after retiring from Daniel Hand, Wendy could often be found tutoring students privately at her dining room table.
As a girl Wendy spent summers at the family beach house on Long Island Sound in Madison. She loved the ocean and developed her life-long love of swimming there. She could outlast anybody swimming long distances. In the mid-1970s Wendy began her 40-year residence on the Shoreline. She played tennis in multiple competitive groups, both singles and doubles. She was only 5 foot 2, but she had a heck of a serve! Her love of poetry was legendary. No book in her library was more worn and tattered than a collection of Emily Dickinson poems. She had eclectic taste in music, from James Taylor to Aaron Copland. Wendy also spent time gardening and doing yoga. She was bright, loving, thoughtful, empathic, quirky, original, hilariously funny, and impossible not to adore.
Wendy returned to Northampton about 10 years ago, where she could often be found with a tennis racket in one hand and a Friendly’s Coffee Milkshake in the other. A perfect day would end with a piece of blueberry pie. The time she spent with family and friends, both in person and on the phone, was precious time for her.
Wendy is survived by her two sons, Jay Walsh and his partner, Marie Markovic, of California, and Andy Walsh and his wife, Tracey, of Alabama; their two daughters, Riley and Shay, of Alabama, as well as son-in-law Bailey; her sister, Kim Butler ’64, of Branford, Connecticut; her sister Laurie Foley ’65, of Northampton; and her three children, Jennifer, Christopher ’93 and Liz ’94 and her husband Luis and son, Luca. In addition, she leaves Christopher’s daughter, Isla (the newest member of the family at one years old), and Ellie Gottschalk, Jennifer’s daughter. Wendy was predeceased by her beloved cat Casper. She adored all of them.
Rest in peace, dear Wendy. You will be sorely missed.
In lieu of flowers, please go read a poem today.