Kerry Walsh's Obituary
Kerry Walsh, 72, passed away on Saturday, August 17, 2019. It was not by design.Kerry had been quietly battling lymphoma for 13 years. Being the creative type that he was, Kerry referred to his treatment as “maintenance” and called his radiation treatment “sparkies.”As a graphic designer and principal of Walsh Branding, Kerry liked to say he sought to turn “brands into landmarks.” Not surprising, given that he was a landmark in the Tulsa community. A native of Pryor, Kerry loved Tulsa. He particularly loved championing the arts in our community and played a prominent role in the Tulsa Arts District. His decades of work in environmental graphics and brand messaging can be seen throughout the city from private firms to parks and from hospitals to hot dog stands.Leon Russell was called the Master of Space and Time. Kerry was Master of Space and Type. Under his leadership, Walsh Branding received many awards from such sources as Communications Arts and Print magazines as well as Art Directors Clubs of New York, Dallas, Los Angeles and Tulsa. Kerry was chosen to be one of only 50 designers to be in the prestigious “World Graphic Design” publication.Despite the many awards and accolades, Kerry was a modest and self-effacing human being. If you would compliment him on one of his many projects, his typical response was “I thought that turned out well.” His style was meticulous, classic, understated, unique and above all, fun. A mentor to many, he gave of his time and talents freely. He also remained close to his former partners at Phillips, Knight, Walsh. Kerry had a loyal band of followers who joined him at his beloved Friday “happy hours” that took place across a wide spectrum of Tulsa’s finer refreshment venues.Two stepchildren, Corey Brown Thornblad and Cody Brown, survive Kerry. He embraced the role of both father-in-law and grandfather to Corey, her husband Matt Thornblad and their two children, Lilly and Aedan as well as to Cody, his wife Silvan and daughter Mara who reside in Croatia.For the last decade, Kerry and Celina Burkhart have been partners in all aspects of life, work and play. Kerry warmly welcomed Celina’s children into their lives: Heather Donner, her husband Shawn and son Coen, and Blake Burkhart and Maegan Burkhart. As was Kerry’s desire, Walsh Branding will continue under Celina’s leadership.Condolences may be expressed at https://floralhaven.com/obituaries/. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the local non-profit of your choice.A memorial service is planned for the fall. Details will be announced. But it’s safe to say we can all count on a start time of 5:00 pm, Happy Hour on a Friday evening.Services Pending.
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