William R. Welch
October 4, 1928 ~ November 15, 2014
SOUTH PORTLAND Mr. William R. Welch, 86, of South Portland, died suddenly on Saturday, November 15, 2014. William was born in Portland on October 4, 1928, the son of William Redmond and Doris (Chaffee) Welch. William grew up on Munjoy Hill and was a lifeguard at East End Beach during high school. He graduated from Portland High School, Class of 1947. Bill was drafted into the US Army in 1951. He honorably served 2 years in the Heavy Mortar Division and was stationed in Germany during the Korean War. Bill enjoyed skiing, sailing and spending time outside. William married Rosemary Nealand on February 23, 1957 at St. Dominics Catholic Church. Together they raised seven children in South Portland. While raising a family, William worked at Burnham and Morrill, Co., retiring in 1990 after 30 years of service. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. His love of life leaves us with many happy memories. He was predeceased by his wife of 57 years, Rosemary Nealand Welch on February 21, 2014. William is survived by his children, William Welch Jr, David and his wife Mary Agnew Welch, Jane and her husband Stephen Locke Jr, Anne Maybury, Ellen and her husband Patrick Richards all of South Portland, Mary Jo Welch of Buxton and Peggy and her husband Denis Metivier of Manchester, NH; 16 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00am on Wednesday, November 19, 2014 at Holy Cross Church, 124 Cottage Road, South Portland. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery, Broadway, South Portland. Arrangements are under the direction of Conroy-Tully Crawford Funeral Home South Portland Chapel, 1024 Broadway, South Portland.
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Bill,Dave, and Family,So sorry to hear of your loss. Bill was a great guy.My thoughts and prayers are with you.
– David Burchill
So sorry to hear your Dad passed. I’ll miss seeing and talking with him on his daily walks. My prays and best regards to all.
– Ivan Tate
We are so sorry to hear about Bill’s passing. He was in our PHS CLASS OF 1947.I happy for you Rosemary that you do have some of your children nearby…..that is a blessing! We keep a record of all of our classmates and also look forward to our REUNION LUNCHEONS every September. God Bless you all,LOVE,FRED AND IRMA BAKERFALMOUTH, MAINE 04105
– FRED AND IRMA BAKER – CLASSMATES
Please accept my sincere sympathy on the sudden death of your Dad!I saw him with Peggy just a few weeks before his death.He missed your Mom and loved his family.He and your Mom are now once again together!Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.God love and bless you!
– Sister Margaret A. Coyne
Thank you for your service. RIP my friend.
– A friend
I will miss our street chats about how things have changed, sailing and the military. Bill will be missed very much by everybody that knew him. So very sorry for your loss.
– Phil bower
So sorry to hear about Bill….your parents were just about the nicest people iv ever known…what a wonderful family…ELmwood will never be the same. Please accept my condoleneces
– Debby frisco
So sorry for your loss. I am sure he will rest in peace comforted by the love of all his family.
– John,Susan Agnew and ffamily
Our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to the entire family. Bill was a great guy who will be sorely missed in the neighborhood. If we didn’t get a chance to talk, we always waved. His outlook on life was always uplifting and it made my day going to or coming home from work much easier. I’m sure others will agree! Thank you Bill !
– Lee Harvey and family
So sorry to hear of your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.
– Brian Fox
Mr. Welch, a fine example of a dad, a husband, a mentor, a family man. That is rare. I had the pleasure of knowing him since I was a teenager and he and his wife welcomed the friends of their children into their home to visit. Many nights were spent with all of us around the kitchen table laughing and storytelling. Thank goodness for people like Mr & Mrs Welch. I have very many nice memories of them and the fun times I spent with their daughter Jane. I am so sorry for the family’s loss of both their father and their mother in the same year. I have nothing but Respect and Admiration for the way they lived their lives. Best to all of you.
– suzan roberts norton
i’m real sorry to hear about Bill’s passing. He was one of my “FUN” uncles and will be sorely missed by all. Please let me know if there is anyhting i can help with…
– Ray Nealand