John A. Walsh

John A. Walsh, 87 of Oradell, New Jersey entered eternal life on Wednesday, August 19, 2026 at the age of eighty seven. John “Jack” Walsh was born Monday, August 14, 1939 in Queens, New York, John was the son of the late John T. Walsh and Evelyn (Hughes)Walsh. He was the oldest of six children.. At 16, John lost his beloved mother and a baby sister, Marilyn to illness. He and his siblings were raised by his father and maternal grandmother, Frances (Nana). As a young man, John worked for Bache & Company on the New York Stock Exchange. It was during those early years that he met Helen Freehill, the woman who would become his wife and lifelong partner until her death in 2015. John and Helen married in a small ceremony and began their life together in Sunnyside, New York, where they welcomed their first two daughters. As their family grew, John and Helen moved across the Hudson River to Oradell, New Jersey, settling on Beverly Road. Three more children soon followed, bringing their family to five children and making Oradell the place they would truly call home. It did not take long for John to become part of the fabric of the community. While living on Beverly Road, a few of his neighbors introduced him to the Oradell Auxiliary Police, and John began volunteering as an Auxiliary Police Officer. It would be one of the first of countless ways he gave his time to the town. Beverly Road was a neighborhood filled with children, and John was rarely just an observer. He could often be found outside surrounded by neighborhood kids, teaching them the games he knew and loved—scully, stoop ball, kickball, and just about anything else that could turn a street or backyard into a playing field. During those years there were many holiday celebrations within the neighborhood. His love of sports and his natural connection with young people soon led him to the Oradell Little League, where he eventually became President, and to the Oradell Soccer League. Through a close friend, he later became involved with the Bergen Catholic baseball team as a coach. For John, however, it was never simply about the sport. He genuinely loved being around the children of the town, watching them learn, compete, grow, and become young adults. That commitment eventually extended into the schools. Some of John's earliest involvement included coaching basketball and volunteering as a chaperone for a school trip to Sharpe Reservation. His dedication was evident even then. John would take a bus from Manhattan after work, spend the night at the reservation with the boys in the class, and then travel back to Manhattan the following morning so that he would not miss a day of work. It was the kind of commitment that would come to define him. John eventually ran for and was elected to the Oradell Board of Education. What began as another opportunity to help his community became an extraordinary 33 years of service to the Oradell Public School System. For more than three decades, John gave his time, judgment, experience, and heart to the schools and families of Oradell. Generations of children passed through the school system during his tenure. The students changed, parents changed, teachers and administrators came and went—but John remained committed to the community he loved. After 33 years, John retired from the Board of Education. In recognition of his remarkable service, December 17, 2025, was officially proclaimed “John Walsh Day” in Oradell—a fitting tribute to a man who had spent so much of his life giving back to his town. His involvement with education also extended beyond Oradell. For many years, John served as a judge at the New Jersey State Odyssey of the Mind competition, proudly representing Oradell and encouraging young people to think creatively, work together, and challenge themselves. And John's service certainly did not end when the children grew up. He became deeply involved with Oradell's senior community, running the Oradell Senior Social Club for many years and also serving as a member of the Bergen County Seniors Association. John especially loved planning and coordinating the club's bus trips, activities, and meetings at the senior center. Bringing people together was something that came naturally to him. He also was one of the organizers of the Church of the Assumption Friday night Bingo for many years. Sports remained another constant throughout his life. John played for many years in the Oradell Men's Softball League, eventually becoming the league's Commissioner. Whether he was playing, coaching, organizing, volunteering, or simply cheering from the sidelines, athletics provided another way for John to build friendships and strengthen his community. It can be found in the generations of children who remember him standing on a field or court encouraging them. It is in the neighbors who remember him outside on Beverly Road teaching children how to play the games of his youth. It is in the students and families whose schools he helped guide for 33 years. It is in the seniors who boarded one of the trips he planned and came home with new memories and friendships. And most importantly, it is in the family that John and Helen built together—the five children they raised and the generations that followed. John loved attending his grandchildren's milestones as well as their many sporting events, even traveling out of state to watch them. The whole family loved his many stories of his childhood and his adventures. The favorite is when he took the bus to Las Vegas by himself during a cross country family trip to Arizona. John is predeceased by his wife of 49 years Helen(Freehill), his parents, John & Evelyn Walsh, sister Marilyn, brother and sister-in-law James & Nancy Walsh, sister and brother-in-law, Patricia & Frank Mcloughlin, and brother-in-law Timothy Recker. John is survived by his children, Brigid King, Christine Delusant, John Walsh II, Jennifer Monahan and William Walsh, his grandchildren, Michael & Elena King , Ryan King & Marisa Gladstone, Nicholas & Jessica King, Noelle Delusant, Connor Delusant, Tori Delusant, Thomas Monahan Jr, Quinn Walsh, Rylee Walsh, Cayden Walsh & Kelsey Walsh, his sisters Madeline Recker, and Lois Cass, as well as the many nieces and nephews. John was excited to become a great grandfather to a baby girl this December. Donations in John’s memory can be made to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital would also be appreciated. https://www.stjude.org/donate