The Rev. Louis J. Putz, C.S.C., Award - 2012: Christopher Walsh '59

2012: Christopher Walsh '59

With this award, Christopher Walsh ’59 is honored for his exemplary dedication to improving the lives of others. 

Mr. Walsh has been instrumental in ensuring the success of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Detroit. By using the knowledge he gained during his more than 40 years in marketing, he has been able to provide schools with a strong foundation for the future.

Most of Mr. Walsh’s working career was spent in marketing, with Eastman Kodak Company. He worked for Kodak in a number of different cities including Chicago, Rochester, New York, and finally in Detroit. 

Mr. Walsh has been active in the Notre Dame Club of Detroit, and is in his second term on the Board of Directors. His work with Catholic schools, in partnership with the Notre Dame School Assistance Program and the Archdiocese of Detroit has helped contribute to Club of the Year honors in 2007 and 2009.

The ND Club of Detroit school program comprises metropolitan-area alumni, who during the past three years have worked with 16 schools in the Archdiocese of Detroit to develop customized strategic plans for the schools. These plans typically address enrollment and funding, but also provide a framework to sustain growth for the future. Mr. Walsh has played an integral role in these efforts, along with his colleague, Neil Hitz ’62, who is also being recognized with the Putz Award this year.  Mr. Walsh and his co-award-winner, Mr. Hitz, have recently been asked to facilitate a three- year plan for the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Detroit.

In addition to his service to Catholic schools, Mr. Walsh has served as a CCD teacher, a lector, and a Eucharistic minister at his parish. By using his talents for the benefit of local children and his peers, he has embraced the teaching of Father Putz that the laity is at the heart of the Church.

Mr. Walsh and his wife Sue live in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. Their nine children have all attended Catholic schools. The couple met while he was at Notre Dame and she was attending Saint Mary’s College.