Sterling Allen Walsh, age 29, of New Lisbon and formerly of Sauk City, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, June 15, 2024. He was surrounded by family at Gunderson Lutheran Hospital in La Crosse, following a tragic accident. He was born at Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital to Dean and Joanne (Vertein) Walsh on October 21, 1994. Sterling graduated from Sauk Prairie High School, class of 2013, where he played soccer and excelled in tennis, lettering all 4 years and ranked as #1 singles and Team Captain. He went on to attend the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh honing his teaching and math skills graduating with a BA in Education. It was during his summer job at the Dells Army Ducks that he met the love of his life, Katie Nelson. They married October 2, 2021.

Sterling and Katie bought a home and enjoyed their life together in New Lisbon where Sterling worked nearby as a math teacher at Mauston High School since 2019. Sterling's positive outlook and competitive nature made him a natural fit as the Advisor for the School Math Team, helping them win the South-Central Conference Math Competition and Mauston's first championship. He also enjoyed his position as the Head Coach for the girls' tennis team and assistant position for the boys' tennis team. Sterling was admired by not only his students and colleagues, but his friends and family as well.  To know Sterling, was to love him.

In recent years, Sterling developed a love for bowling and did so weekly and recently talked Katie into a couple's bowling league. Sterling also enjoyed video games which helped him keep in touch with his friends. Together, he and Katie enjoyed the outdoors, camping often in the summer and looking forward to fishing on their new boat with their dogs, Mia and Rosie. Time with family was always important to Sterling, he had true friend relationships with each of his family members. Finally, he loved music. His family always looked forward to him playing the Peanuts tune on the piano at Christmas.  Sterling loved finding and enjoying new songs, always dancing whenever he could. You could find him at the center of every dance floor. He was the first one on and the last one off.

He will be missed by his beloved wife, Katie; his dad and mom, Dean and Joanne; siblings, Tiffany (Andy) Haffemann, Dustin (Michelle) Walsh and Natalie (Andrew) Lovell; nieces and nephews, Evelyn, Estelle and Cole Haffemann and Caroline and Graham Walsh; maternal grandmother, Marie Vertein; paternal step grandfather, Jerry Alt; Katie's parents, Bill and Jodi Nelson; sister in-law, Lindsey (James) Lierman and nieces, Sophia and Claire.  He is further survived by other relatives and many, many friends.

He was preceded in death by paternal grandfather, Jack Walsh; paternal grandmother, Verna Alt; and maternal grandfather, Allen Vertein.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, June 24 at St. John's Lutheran Church, 100 Oak St., Prairie du Sac. A visitation will be held from 2:00 pm until 6:00 pm on Sunday, June 23 at the church and one hour prior to the service. Interment will be held in the Prairie du Sac Cemetery.

The gift of Sterling's life lives on through organ donation and his family is very grateful for the staff at Gunderson Lutheran Hospital, especially Nurse Anna, the organ donation team, and the Juneau County first responders for their quick and professional care.

Online condolences may be made at hooversonfuneralhomes.com