Emily (Walther) Golinski
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Emme, or Em, as she was known to her family and friends, passed away at home with her husband, Al, and cats Minnie and Max, at her side, after fighting a seven month battle with breast cancer.
Emme was born February 1, 1952 in Mineola, NY to Edgar N. Walther, and Jean(Wilgus) Walther and lived in New York until 1969 when the family relocated to Granby, MA. Following high school, Emme worked for dentists in Longmeadow, MA and South Hadley, MA.
She was married to Alan Golinksi in 1981 and together they jointly owned and operated Olde Hadley Hearth and Patio in South Hadley until their retirement in 2007.
Emme loved the outdoors and was an avid skier, gardener and animal lover but will be most remembered as a world renown angler. She fished most often in Rhode Island, the Florida Keys, and Costa Rica. She held many women's world record catches including a 58lb striped bass on 8lb line and a 47lb bass on 6lb line - both of which are still world records today.
To cherish her memory, she leaves her husband and soul mate, Alan Golinski. They worked, played and fished together for 40 years without being apart for more than a few days during that time. She leaves her mother, Jean Walther (Russell, MA), her sister and best friend Karen McCann (Russell, MA), her brother Steve (Karen) Walther (Belchertown, MA), 7 nieces and nephews and 6 grandnieces and grandnephews.
The family offers a special thanks to the nurses and doctors at D'Amour Cancer Center at Bay State Health who treated Emme with love and respect. Thanks also to Marci Kelly and Valeriy Kuznetsov from O'Connell Health Care who provided much support at the end of Emme's journey. Emme was also especially supported with love, friendship and homemade meals by her sister Karen, the Shea and Colbert families, Dr. Richard Rubin, and Jen and Andrew from the Cooked Goose in Westerly, RI.
A memorial service in South Hadley is planned for Fall 2021. A private burial will be held at sea. In lieu of donations, Alan Golinski requests that you honor Emme's old school love of writing notes and cards to family and friends by sending a handwritten one to someone you love. For details, visit www.beersandstory.com