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by Joy Walsh, wife of Deputy Bob This man whom I have known as Deputy Bob has loved serving the Lord through the art of ventriloquism since 1978. 
He acquired the nickname Deputy Bob from a local reporter's newspaper feature. He is a state certified crime prevention specialist and DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Officer trained by the state police. He graduated cum laude from Bluefield College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Administration of Justice. 
As a young boy, Robert James Walsh watched famed ventriloquist, Paul Winchell and his partner, Jerry Mahoney on television. He also watched popular ventriloquist, Jimmy Nelson and his partners Farfel and Danny O'Day on the silver screen. These ventriloquists inspired him to one day become a ventriloquist himself. In the early days of television, programs had a positive message that respected traditional family values. "It was a great time to grow up as a child," says Deputy Bob. The problem was he didn't know how to learn the art of ventriloquism as a boy. There were no ventriloquist resources in Cheshire, Connecticut at that time. Bob's folks bought him a Jerry Mahoney doll but it got lost. His interest in ventriloquism waned but would be awakened at a later time. He joined the U. S. Navy to travel and have a career during the Vietnam era. At the age of 26, he decided to trust Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior, while his ship was steaming off the Philippine Islands. About two years later, when praying, Bob asked God to give him a gift to share his faith. Several months later, he spotted an advertisement in a Christian magazine offering information on how to learn ventriloquism for the price of one dollar. This resource was Maher Studios. The late ventriloquist Bill Boley taught him ventriloquism from the audio tape, "Here's Ventriloquism". The Lord used both these resources to get him started. 
For fifteen years, he performed as a gospel ventriloquist and in community relations. During this period, he graduated from San Diego Bible College with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Theology and became an ordained minister of the Gospel. His life verse during this time was Philippians 1:6 "Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." When he traveled abroad with the U. S. Navy, he would bring one of his ventriloquist figures with him as a ministry and perform in ports of call. He retired from the Navy as a chief petty officer. He considers himself to be a steward of the talents God has entrusted to him. Deputy Bob's new life verse is I Peter 1:7 "That the genuineness of your faith, which is much more precious than gold that perishes, even though tested by fire, may bring praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
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