Michael Walsh, FCRH ’12, who friends described as “one of a kind,” recently died near his home in Connecticut. He was 25. (Photo from Facebook)
By Laura Sanicola
Michael Walsh, a former two-sport varsity athlete at Fordham who continued to follow Ram athletics as an alumnus, died on Sunday following a jogging accident near his home in Connecticut. He was 25.
Walsh was jogging on South Main Street in Torrington, Conn. around 5 a.m. when he was struck by a snowplow from behind, according to reports from NBC Connecticut. The truck did not have its plow down at the time of the accident.
He later died in Charlotte Hungerford Hospital.
An investigation into the accident is ongoing, but no charges were filed against the driver as of Tuesday.
“Everyone on the team loved him,” said Thomas Dewey, head coach of Fordham’s cross country and track and field teams.
An alumnus informed Dewey of his death after he was contacted by Walsh’s mother.
“Walsh was very dedicated, hard working and a perfect team player,” Dewey said. “His work ethic was excellent.”
His former teammates and friends remembered him as a motivated athlete and student as well as an encouraging and positive individual.
“Walsh was someone you didn’t need to have as a best friend, yet he would still know your best races when they happened,” said Julian Saad, FCRH ’15, who noted that Walsh remained an active member of the Fordham track and field community after graduating.
“He continued to follow my competition schedule and congratulate me on every great performance,” Saad said. “Every time I have run a ‘break out race’ or run a personal best, I had a Facebook message from waiting for me in my inbox when I got home at night after my race.”
“He was this way with everyone,” Saad added.
“It was great how he always took younger kids like myself under his wing and served as a role model for everyone who knew him,” said Jonathan Annelli, FCRH ’13. “He was truly one of a kind.”
Off the track, he was admired for his warm spirit.
“He had a great sense of humor and a tremendous outlook of positivity, but most of all he was genuinely caring,” said Girish Swaminath, FCRH ’14.
“He really wanted to make sure that people were happy and went out of his way to help other people and give advice, which not many people go out of their way to do,” he added.
Apart from his athletic career as a four-year cross country and track and field runner, Walsh was a pre-med student who majored in physics and biology.
After his graduation, he lived in the Bronx for an additional year and worked as a tutor.
He aspired to become a doctor and was accepted to medical school in October.
“Walsh always had a new joke, story or script to tell all of his friends,” said Annelli. “A run with Walsh always flew by because he kept us laughing the entire way.”
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 10 a.m. in St. Peter Church in Torrington, Conn.
