John “Jack” Walsh, of Bainbridge Island, died peacefully on April 3 at the home he shared with his wife, Kate, surrounded by his loving family. He was 79.

He was born in Seattle to John and Agnes Walsh on Nov. 27, 1929. He graduated from Ballard High School in 1947 and attended the University of Washington, graduating in 1951 with a degree in business administration and a commission in the U.S. Navy. That same year he married Dorothy Olsen, with whom he shared 45 years.

While in the Navy, Jack was a supply corps officer, and among other places, served in Europe, the Far East, and Washington, D.C. He retired from the Navy in 1971 as a lieutenant commander after serving at the Naval Torpedo Station, Keyport.

Later in life, “Captain Jack” earned his Coast Guard license and worked at the Poulsbo Marine Science Center, where his duties included giving boat tours of Liberty Bay to schoolchildren. He loved sailing and spent many summers cruising the waters of Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands. He was an active member of the Poulsbo Yacht Club and the Agate Pass Power Squadron, where he taught and served as commodore. He loved music and was an avid piano and guitar player, and sang with the Bainbridge Chorale.

In 2001, he married Kate Cunningham and lived on Bainbridge. He is survived by his wife, Kate; sons John “Skip” Walsh, Doug Walsh, and Mike “Deeter” Walsh; stepchildren Roy and Carl Cunningham and Sheila Fricke; 18 grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and his former wife, Dorothy.

The family will hold a private memorial later this spring. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or Hospice of Kitsap County.