David "Jay" Walsh

A livestream of the service will be available at www.oakhill-church.com David “Jay” Walsh, age 88, entered into the presence of his Lord and Savior on Friday, August 14, 2020, surrounded by loving family. He was preceded in death by his parents, Phin and Lila Walsh; sisters and their husbands, Lovisa & Herman Freytag & Gail & Ron White; two grandchildren, Krista & Jonathon Zylstra. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Eleanor (Reed) Walsh; his seven children, Doug (Deborah) Walsh, Linda (Brian) Zylstra, Debra (George) Collins, Phillip (Becky) Walsh, Sheryl (Dave) Marshall, Shelley Barker, Diane (Dave) Ford; 41 grandchildren (with many others who called him grandpa); 77 great grandchildren (with more on the way!); brother, Martin (Sue) Walsh, and his beloved dog, Millie. Jay loved his childhood home in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and was raised in a one room log cabin, the oldest of 4 children. That is where he got his love of fishing, hunting, and gardening! He graduated from Newberry High School, Grand Rapids Baptist College & Seminary and Wheaton College. He received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Cornerstone University. While starting the Lakeview Baptist Church, he felt the Lord calling him to East Pakistan. He gave his life to the Lord serving faithfully for 35 years as a missionary to East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. He loved his work among the tribal people of the Chittagong Hill tracks. He was truly a “jack-of-all-trades” which included being a linguist (learning three different languages) and a translator (using his talents to translate the New Testament and a song book for the Tipperah tribe). Jay was also a prolific writer, authoring eight books, numerous articles and stories for Christian publications, as well as keeping a daily journal/diary for 61 years. He was well known and respected for his work (on behalf of the mission) with diplomats and top officials from several countries. After his retirement, he raised a significant amount of money for a multitude of ministry projects all over the world. He was also known for his generosity and helping out those in need. Through his work and world-wide travels, he became well-known and very loved by so many people. No one was ever a stranger to him! He really enjoyed playing his harmonica with a special group of friends every Monday afternoon and occasionally could be found playing it on a bench at the Knapp Corner Meijer. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather who regularly communicated with his family and prayed daily for them. He had a great sense of humor that we all enjoyed. He always said, “I am going to live right up to the end” and he did! Visitation will be held Tuesday, August 18 from 6 – 8 pm at the Bliss-Witters & Pike Funeral Home, Cedar Springs. The service will be Wednesday 11:00 am at Oakhill Church, 1930 Leonard St. Grand Rapids, MI. Visitation will begin at 10:00 am. Pastor Jeff Carlson officiating. Interment East Lakefield Township Cemetery, McMillan. Memorial contributions may be made to LIVE Global, P.O. Box 8585, Harrisburg, PA 17105