Thomas Graham Walsh, 87

Thomas Graham Walsh died Nov. 5, 2022. He “made the transition” peacefully, in his sleep and in his home surrounded by people who loved him. Tom was born Dec. 20, 1934, brother to Jack and Mary and son of Ella and Sylvester.

He grew up in Chicago and attended DePaul Academy, where he built lifelong friendships. He attended Michigan State University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in microbiology in 1954. Tom remained a proud booster of State until the very end, always wearing Spartan green and white, invoking his Sigma Chi brotherhood and having season football tickets over the past decade.

After finishing at Michigan State, he attended the University of Illinois School of Dentistry and went on to complete residency in Oral Surgery, training under Dr. William Harrigan at Bellevue Hospital in New York, for whom he edited “All About The Boss.”

In 1959, he married Dianne E. Carlson and they began their family that grew to six children. As an Oral Surgeon, he founded Coeur d’Alene Oral Surgery, where he served his community, including those who could not afford care for nearly 40 years.

In his endless pursuit of personal growth, he graduated from Gonzaga University School of Law in 1990, and received a masters in patent and trademark law from George Washington University in 1991. He was a beloved husband, father, brother, son, grandfather and friend. He was generous to all and his philanthropy affected many including the Spokane Symphony Orchestra, Healing the Children and other arts and medical organizations.

He is survived by his loving wife, Bonnie, who was by his side until the very end and cared for him through all the ups and downs that the last year has brought.

He’s also survived by the mother of his children, Dianne Walsh, who he remained close with in the last two decades of their life; his children, Matthew, Patrick, Katy, Peter, Kristy, Tommy and Robin; his son-in-law Kevin, and his daughters-in-law Andrea, Anna, Jennifer and Lorena; his grandchildren, Jackson, Meghan, Max, Riley, Dylan, Ella, Gabby, Graham and Felicity, who all remember Tom as an endless adventurer who instilled in them a desire to learn and achieve more, to never worr, and to always seek the very best out of life. We will all always remember him as a man who never gave up.

In lieu of flowers, please donate in Tom’s memory to Youth Eastside Services at https://www.youtheastsideservices.org.

Memorial Mass will be at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 21, 2022, at St. Thomas Catholic Church, 919 E. Indiana Ave., Coeur d’Alene. Reception to follow at the church parish center. Interment will be at St. Thomas Catholic Cemetery.

Arrangements are provided by Yates Funeral Home (www.yatesfuneralhomes.com).