There is a photo of Fr. Wally Sidney, SJ sitting on a throne, decked out fully as a Renaissance-era king—well, except for the baseball hat he had traded for the crown. During the 2005-06 school year, the Girls Division parent club decided to put on a fundraiser called the Raiders Roost and asked the administration, including the president, to dress in full costume for the occasion. Those who knew Wally knew that this was far from his cup of tea, but he responded with a gallant, “Anything for the school!” playing his part marvelously and to high praise. 

Wally’s openness and generosity of spirit become recurring themes when asking people to share their memories of him and his time at Regis Jesuit. Charlie Saulino, who worked at Regis Jesuit for 36 years and was principal of the Boys Division from January 2001 through the end of 2007-08 school year, recalls Wally as a person who provided spiritual leadership and guidance through a time of significant change at the school. Charlie shares that it was Wally who encouraged him to apply to be principal. He had been assistant principal for several years and had not really considered applying for the position before Wally’s encouragement. “He was a person who could be leaned on but would also challenge me to take action,” and recalls fondly what he terms “fun” in the challenges they faced together. Charlie names Wally as one of the kindest Jesuits he has ever known and applauds his willingness to do whatever was required to fulfill their shared calling of educating young people. 

Marion Curtis, member of the RJ Council of Regents, witnessed Wally’s dedication to fulfilling that calling firsthand. She first met Wally when she was volunteering as a brand-new parent at the Moms Club Christmas Mass & Dessert Reception during her son Tim’s ’99 freshman year. She noted that Wally stopped to help gather the tablecloths to take home and wash at the Jes Res. She remembers being impressed that he noticed the need. “He had no trappings of office, no sense of entitlement. He was aware of the multiple layers at work necessary to make the school function, and that every good thing that happened had people behind it so expressing gratitude to and for them was essential.” 

Wally asked Marion to join the Board of Trustees in 1998 and shortly after, the question of adding the Girls Division arose. She notes that the Board had just completed the work for a comprehensive campus master plan, so Wally and Bud Laber, the Board Chair at the time, could have responded that the window had already closed for contemplating such an audacious undertaking. She credits them both for their willingness to remain open, remarking, “Wally reminded [the Board] that is the charism of the Jesuits to meet new needs of the Church, so we needed to take the matter into discernment. That it was not about our desire in the matter but our willingness to take into consideration what the Holy Spirit was calling school leadership to consider.” Setting the tone for that discernment in the spirit and heart of Jesuit ministry changed the trajectory for and history of the school moving forward. 

That change in direction brought Gretchen Kessler to Regis Jesuit in 2002 as the founding principal of the Girls Division. Wally interviewed her in 2001 for the role and she sensed an instant connection with him and admiration for the bold vision—an all-girls opportunity for Jesuit education—he was seeking to bring to fruition. She remembers thinking on her way home from the interview, “I’d really like to work for that man!” And so, she moved across the country to take the reins of this fledging venture, already knowing that Wally would be working right alongside her. 

Gretchen and Wally remained close friends until the end of his life. She was honored to give one of the eulogies at his funeral. In it, she shared numerous memories of colleagues and Girls Division alumnae that repeatedly called out his jovial nature, kindness, sense of humor, love of sports (with the Raiders at the top of the list) and how he lived out his faith, most particularly in the way he encountered others. Many recalled Wally as a good listener and for having a special knack for encouraging people and making them feel seen and valued, especially teenagers. 

In his 11 years at Regis Jesuit, Fr. Wally Sidney, SJ undeniably had a profound impact on the school as an institution. His more significant legacy is through the transformation he invoked in the people whose lives he touched both here and in all the Jesuit institutions he served as a Man with and for Others. We are forever grateful for his life of service. 
Read the Jesuits' obituary for Fr. Sidney here
Give in memory of Wally to the Rev. Walter Sidney, SJ Endowed Scholarship at Regis Jesuit