Carey Marie Walsh

A wake for Carey Marie Walsh, 36, will be Sunday, November 21st at Mackey-Wright Funeral Home in Monticello, IL at 4 pm. Funeral services will be held Monday, November 22nd at 10 am at the St. Josephs Catholic Church in Ivesdale, IL with burial to follow. Miss Walsh died at 2:03 a.m. Thursday Nov. 11, 2010 at Barnes-Jewish Medical Center, St. Louis, MO, from complications following a bone marrow transplant. She is survived by her mother, Charleen Zmija Walsh of St. Louis, formerly of Monticello. Her father, Thomas H. Walsh, died on Thursday Nov. 18, 2010, also at Barnes-Jewish Medical Center, St. Louis. She is also survived by two sisters, Dr. Catherine A. Walsh, of Albuquerque, NM, and Colleen Walsh Lang, and husband Edward Lang of St. Louis; her maternal grandmother Florence Zmija of St. Louis, formerly of Lansing; aunt and uncle, Melanie and Jerry ORourke, of Phoenix, AZ,; first cousins Jennifer, Daniel and Patrick O'Rourke; and many cousins. She was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents Vincent and Catherine Kaley Delaney Walsh; her maternal grandfather Joseph E. Zmija, and aunt, Mary Walsh. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Brehm School Foundation. Contact info: 618-457-0371 or rwilliams@brehm.org. Mackey-Wright Funeral Home, 215 E. Washington St., Monticello, is in charge of arrangements (217-762-2126). Miss Walsh was born Aug. 19, 1974, in Urbana, IL. She graduated valedictorian in 1993 from Brehm Preparatory School, Carbondale, IL. She then attended Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, where she was awarded a bachelors of arts in psychology in 1998. Miss Walsh also earned a Library Technical Assistance (LTA) certificate with High Honors from the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn in 2001. Miss Walsh was an active member of Brehms Options program, where she dedicated herself to the programs activities, community service and volunteer work. She interned nearly 680 hours at various community businesses and organizations, including the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce, the Carbondale Park District and the SIU School of Journalism, among others. She supported her college alma mater, and would often attend volleyball matches, plays and concerts at the university. Miss Walsh was also a dedicated staff member of the Carbondale Public Library until her death. Her accuracy, memory and organizational skills made her an especially valued colleague at the library. Miss Walsh traveled widely during her life, visiting England, Japan, China, France, Ireland and Kenya, among other locales. Miss Walshs warmth, generosity, sense of humor and steel-trap memory were treasured by her friends and family. She was fiercely independent, quick to laugh and she delighted in the achievements of her sisters and other family members. Miss Walsh was also an avid fan of popular culture, books, cinema and the color purple. Condolences may be offered online at www.mackey-wrightfuneralhome.com

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