Ethel Rita Walsh

Ethel Rita Walsh died on January 10th, 2022 in Chula Vista, California at the age of 100.

She was born July 02, 1921 in Buffalo, New York to parents William and Ethel (nee Hurley) Milton. The family moved to San Diego when she was 13 years old, when her father transferred with General Dynamics. Other than a brief stint in suburban DC, she had lived in the area ever since.

Ethel loved Pacific Beach! Ethel worked as hair stylist for over thirty years in Pacific Beach and La Jolla. After almost 70 happy years, the Milton family home on Law Street was sold in 2003. Ethel then spent 11 years living at Wesley Palms Retirement Community in Pacific Beach. For the last several years, she lived at Fredericka Manor Care Center in Chula Vista, where she died on January 10, 2022.

She was proud of her Scottish ancestry and Catholicism. Ethel travelled to Scotland with her aunt as a child to visit her father’s family, and later toured again with her daughter and granddaughter. When her family moved to Pacific Beach, the closest Catholic Church was Mary, Star of Sea in La Jolla. The Bishop of San Diego ordered a census of Pacific Beach, so Ethel and two other girls went door-to-door doing the census. The census resulted in Saint Brigid Parish being formed in 1940. Her family donated a stained-glass window, located on the south side of the altar. She often went on religious retreats and to visit California missions. She died as the oldest member of the Saint Brigid parish.

She was walker and hiker in her earlier life and was known to walk the halls of FMCC until the pandemic. She was unofficial greeter at the front door. Everybody knew and loved Ethel.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother William Milton (who died in 2020) and many aunts, uncles and cousins.

She is survived by her three children: Patricia Conway of DeKalb, Illinois, John Walsh of Arvada, Colorado, and James Walsh of Tacoma, Washington. Also surviving are seven grandchildren: Felicia Conway Korengel, Patricia Walsh Wines, Erin Conway Celata, James Walsh Jr., Crystal Walsh Callipari, Robert Walsh and William Walsh. There are also fifteen great-grandchildren and five great-great grandchildren, as well as her sister-in-law Mildred Milton and nephew Michael Milton.

Visitation will Friday, Jan 28 at the Pacific Beach-La Jolla Chapel from 4-6 p.m. The funeral Mass will be at Saint Brigid Roman Catholic Church on Saturday, January 29th at 10 a.m.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.pacificbeachchapel.com for the Walsh family.