The youngest son of Andrew Gordon Marshall (1855-1931) born in Ridge, Old Leighlin, Carlow, Ireland and Bessie Omega Burke (1896-1966) born in Dexter, Stoddard, Missouri. Wally had two older brothers, Robert Gordon and Albert Edward. Wally was a musically gifted child pianist; was pushed too hard to practice and rebelled against his mother's wishes. In later years, Wally said that he was a big disappointment, that he was 'the black sheep,' but Wally was just an eight year old boy when his father died. By the time he was in his early teens, he was smoking and drinking; that's when his alcoholism started. Wally joined the Navy, flew supply planes....that's when he wasn't in the brig or peeling potatoes for breaking the rules. He loved flying and was very good at it. Wally supported himself for 45 years as a custom painter of high-end automobiles and boats. He did really beautiful work. He struggled with alcoholism for decades, in and out of rehab facilities. It destroyed his chances of having a normal family life. Thanks to AA, his sponsor, and Wally's will to want to quit, he was able to get and stay sober in 1976....as a result of getting sober, he was able to rent and fly planes again, which made him incredibly happy.
The youngest son of Andrew Gordon Marshall (1855-1931) born in Ridge, Old Leighlin, Carlow, Ireland and Bessie Omega Burke (1896-1966) born in Dexter, Stoddard, Missouri. Wally had two older brothers, Robert Gordon and Albert Edward. Wally was a musically gifted child pianist; was pushed too hard to practice and rebelled against his mother's wishes. In later years, Wally said that he was a big disappointment, that he was 'the black sheep,' but Wally was just an eight year old boy when his father died. By the time he was in his early teens, he was smoking and drinking; that's when his alcoholism started. Wally joined the Navy, flew supply planes....that's when he wasn't in the brig or peeling potatoes for breaking the rules. He loved flying and was very good at it. Wally supported himself for 45 years as a custom painter of high-end automobiles and boats. He did really beautiful work. He struggled with alcoholism for decades, in and out of rehab facilities. It destroyed his chances of having a normal family life. Thanks to AA, his sponsor, and Wally's will to want to quit, he was able to get and stay sober in 1976....as a result of getting sober, he was able to rent and fly planes again, which made him incredibly happy.
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