For the people who worked with Laura “Laurie” Walsh and formed close bonds with the lifelong Lynn resident, their memories of her will stay with them forever.

Walsh, 69, died on Sunday, Jan. 28 while surrounded by her family at Salem Hospital after a nine-year battle with breast cancer.

Lynn Housing Authority and Neighborhood Development Executive Director Charlie Gaeta worked side by side with Walsh for close to 30 years. Gaeta said he always admired how committed Walsh was to the strictly volunteer board.

Gaeta reminisced about the special memories he shared with Walsh and her impact on his life and the others around her.

“From the time she began serving, she hit the ground running,” Gaeta said.

Walsh was appointed to the housing board in 1984 by Gov. Michael Dukakis, Gaeta said. On every housing board throughout the state, the governor makes one appointment, and Walsh was Dukakis’ appointment to the Lynn Housing Authority.

“More than that, she was just a great friend for a long time to my wife, me, and my family,” Gaeta said. “It’s amazing the battle that she put up with this disease… years and years of battling back and just her strong will to live… she added on a lot of years to her life.”

Walsh and her husband, John, were the owners and operators of John’s Oil of Lynn, where she did the bookkeeping and helped run the day-to-day operations with her family. John’s Oil was a huge part of her life, Gaeta said.

“Her and her husband, John, built a really successful business, John’s Oil, and over the years and over time she has been joined by her sons Jay and Josh, and they will certainly carry on her legacy,” he said. “They grew that business through dedication and hard work, and she wanted to make a better life for her kids, and she certainly succeeded.”

Jay Walsh is the president of Lynn City Council.

Gaeta said Laurie Walsh was known as a strong leader. She served as the chairperson of the Lynn Housing Authority for more than 20 years.

“She was totally committed to the agency, the staff, and the residents that we all served,” Gaeta said. “She supported considerable growth of the agency over the years, the growth of our programs, which really benefited our residents and others in the Lynn community.”

As her friend and colleague for so many years, Gaeta remembers Laurie Walsh for her kind-hearted spirit and generosity.

Laurie Walsh was very active in the greater Lynn community and attended many housing authority and fundraising events. Gaeta said Laurie Walsh was one of the housing authority’s most successful fundraisers and donated thousands of dollars to various causes. In 1986, she co-founded the Lynn Christmas Parade with her husband and the late Richie Viger.

Gaeta noted that Laurie and John Walsh started a scholarship fundraiser to assist college seniors with furthering their education, which has given out between $25,000 to $30,000 every year. She was also instrumental in keeping the alcohol-free St. Patrick’s Day event alive, which has been very popular over the years, Gaeta added.

After his second State of the City address on Jan. 30, Mayor Jared Nicholson spoke about Laurie Walsh’s legacy in Lynn.

“She was an incredible community leader and businessperson with a real community mindset. A huge heart with an incredible work ethic, and she was there behind the scenes for so many of those moments that make our city what it is, and she’ll be deeply missed,” Nicholson said.

Gaeta said he cherishes the time he spent with Laurie Walsh at work.

“The housing authority was a small piece of her legacy, but it was certainly an important piece,” Gaeta said. “The support that she gave me personally can’t be matched.”

Gaeta called Laurie Walsh a fiercely loyal friend and described her personality as upbeat and bubbly.

“She could light up a room with her presence and smile,” Gaeta said. “She let her opinions be known. But, on the other side, was extremely supportive. Laurie has been such a big part of everything, and it will be really different not having her around.”

A funeral service for Laurie Walsh will be held on Feb. 1 at the Solimine Funeral Home at 426 Broadway at 11 a.m. Donations in her memory can be made to the Lynn Housing & Neighborhood Development Scholarship Fund, 10 Church St., Lynn, MA. 01902.