Bolton Liberal Democrat former chairman Kevin Walsh dies

Kev Walsh, a well-known figure in and out of politics, died on Sunday.

As well as serving as chairman of the area party, Kev was actively involved in Bolton politics and had stood as a candidate for the Liberal Democrats for both Bolton Council and the Bolton South East parliamentary constituency.

Outside of politics, he was a familar face on Bolton's vibrant amateur dramatic scene.

Cllr Roger Hayes, leader of the Bolton Liberal Democrats council group, said: “We are all deeply saddened to learn that Kev has passed away at such a young age.

“Kev was always outspoken, stood up for what he thought was right and made a great contribution to our local party over the years. He will be missed by many.

“We send our deepest condolences to Kev’s family and friends.”

Fellow Lib-Dem councillor, David Wilkinson said: "I've known Kev for quite a while, you forget how many years you have known someone.

"I think everybody was completely stunned when the news came out because he was always a pretty lively robust character.

"He could be a bit blunt at times but that was one of the good sides of him, he could cut through an argument fairly quickly.

"You just can't believe that somebody could be here one minute and literally gone the next, we know death can appear but it's always a shock when it comes to someone so young and so quickly."

Cllr Wilkinson added: "He had a good mind on him Kev, he could think about things, he could think out of the box, he was quite sharp on a lot of issues, he was a good keen thinker on a lot of things and it's just a shame that he was never elected to Bolton Council, I think he would have been a very good councillor.

"He brought a lot of insightful attributes to the party.

"He was chairman, he was secretary, he was one of those people that a lot of members of public will never see but is vital to every political party in any organisation, the people who are behind the scenes who do those jobs and he did it well.

"He encouraged people and spoke about things that he believed in and he had a strong point of view and he was a good person.

"A lot of his family and friends really did admire him for what he did and he had a good sense of fun about him as well.

"He took part in the Bolton Hospice Strictly Come Dancing event and one day on my Facebook feed I saw him on a picture performing for Bolton Little Theatre.

"Kevin was involved in lots of different things, he will be a sad loss not just to us and his family and friends but to a lot of other organisations he was involved in."

Carol Butler Kev Walsh Francis Clemitt in For Love Or Money at Bolton Little Theatr

Paul Cohen, chairman of Bolton Amateur Theatre Societies, said: "It was just a shock; I just can’t get it round my head at all.

“I first met Kevin when he came to be in a play for me at Farnworth Performing Arts Company, we did a play called Find the Lady in about 2009 I think it was and he came along with his friend and that’s when he really started in Bolton Amateur Dramatics Society.

“The last time I saw him was in She Stoops to Conquer at Bolton Little Theatre that was earlier this year and he played quite a funny character in that and got many laughs.

“Kevin on stage was always very gracious, really easy to work with and really worked hard at getting the characters right.

“He was at Bolton Little Theatre, that’s where he made his home in quite a lot of their productions and he was also in Marco Productions, Phoenix Players but I think a lot of his main time was spent at Bolton Little Theatre and at one time he was on the board of directors for some time, so he had a lot to offer.

“The thing with Kevin is he could turn his hand to anything; he could do comedy, he could do drama, he was an all-rounder and that’s what made him so unique, you could rely on him to do whatever.

“Whether it was short notice, Kevin would turn around and he would definitely help you out.

“He’s just going to be sorely missed, he really is.

“He was really committed to theatre in Bolton, our condolences go out to his family and his partner and his children, they must be absolutely beside themselves because it’s such a shock.

“It’s so shocking, so unexpected and so sudden.”

A GoFundMe page has since been set up in loving memory of Mr Walsh with a target of £5,000.

The fundraiser has been set up to raise money to give Kevin a send off that he deserves.

So far, £3,885 has been rasied from 35 donors.

Kelly Boag set up the fundraiser and said: "On Sunday 28th August 2022 Kevin suffered a sudden brain haemorrhage which resulted in the loss of a wonderful young man who gave so much to his family and community.

"We are asking for donations to give him the send off that he deserves and give all his family and friends a chance to say goodbye.

"Kevin was a loving father, son, partner, brother, uncle, nephew and friend who will be missed by anyone who ever had the pleasure of meeting him.

"We love you Kev and will miss you forever."

If you would like to donate funds, click here. (www.gofundme.com/f/in-loving-memory-of-kevin-walsh-gone-too-soon)