Paul Walsh, 88, of Princeton, passed away Friday, April 17, 2009 in the University Medical Center at Princeton, due to complications following surgery.

In 2003 after 20 years of service, Paul retired from Fellowship in Prayer, a Princeton based interfaith organization dedicated to promoting peace through prayer and understanding. Paul retired from Princeton University in 1988 to take on the full-time staff position as Executive Director of Fellowship in Prayer while continuing as President of their Board of Trustees, this after having served as their Treasurer and President for many years.

A native New Yorker, Paul was a graduate of Princeton University, class of '42, and was a senior vice president and Creative Director of the Compton Advertising Agency in both New York City and in Paris, France. He helped form and lead a number of religious/spiritual organizations and activities in the Princeton area.

When a student at Princeton University, he was a founder of the university's student run radio station, WPRB. At that time, he became deeply interested in folk music leading him to become a close friend of Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter the great folk and blues singer and guitarist; and was later executor of Leadbelly's estate. Later on, Paul spent many happy weekends in Fishkill, N.Y. as part of a crew of friends who helped Pete Seeger build his house.

Under his leadership, Fellowship in Prayer initiated its highly successful Companions on the Sacred Journey conferences and opened up the facilities to groups of many differing faith traditions. In 1990, he created the Worldwide Day of Prayer and Meditation to Help Heal Mother Earth keynoted by Thomas Berry and endorsed by the Dalai Lama. This was the first of many major events that involved both local and worldwide participation.

Paul lived by the words of the Dalai Lama who has said, "My religion is kindness". He lived this outlook with gentleness, humor and a delightful zest for life even in the midst of illness. Shortly before his death, he told a group of Buddhist friends, that the words of his friend Lama Surya Das summed up his way of being in life – "Let it go, watch it flow, enjoy the show, emaho (hooray, isn't it all wonderful)."

Paul will be greatly missed by his wife Anne, his daughter Brooks and by many friends and companions on the sacred journey.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the Seva Foundation, 1786 5th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710 would be appreciated.

A service in celebration of Paul's life will be held Saturday, June 6, 2009 at 10:00 am at the Princeton University chapel.