Obituary : Kathleen F. Welch

Published: May 1, 2008

Kathleen Frances Welch died unexpectedly on Saturday, April 26. She was the devoted daughter of Beatrice E. (Ward) Welch and the late David L. Welch Sr.; beloved sister of Beatrice D'Angelo of Hull, and Diane Gibson of Sacramento, Calif., and the late David L. Welch Jr. Kathy was the beloved Aunt of Lisa-Joy Buckley, Mark Kristopher Brooke, Benjamin Gibson and Christopher Gibson; Great Aunt of Michael, Kellie-Joy and Kendra-Joy Buckley, Anthony Gibson, Christopher Burdett, Faith Gibson and Benjamin Gibson.

Kathy was born on August 18, 1950 in Oak Bluffs. She graduated from the Martha's Vineyard High School in 1968 and Burdett Business College in 1970. She continued living in Boston working at the John Hancock Insurance Company. Due to the development of Multiple Sclerosis, she was forced into an early retirement at a young age. Kathy relocated to the Cape to assist with caring for her grandmother, aunt and uncle. After her brother David died in 2004, she moved home to the Island to care for her parents. Upon her father's passing last year, she became the sole caretaker of her mother.

Her knowledge of the entertainment and music industry was widespread and she kept her parents entertained with a wide variety of new and old movies. Her hobbies included reading; especially the mystery series based on the Island and shared this passion with her sisters. She had a generous and giving heart, wonderful sense of humor and continued to always be the family jokester despite her health limitations. Kathy, our Angel, will be deeply missed.

Visiting hours were held in the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, located on Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road in Oak Bluffs on Wednesday, April 30 from 6 to 8 pm. A funeral home service will be held on Thursday at 11 am with the Rev. Roger Spinney officiating. Burial followed in the Oak Grove Cemetery in Vineyard Haven. Donations in her memory may be made to Tisbury Senior Center, P.O. Box 1239, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568 or to Multiple Sclerosis Society, 101A First Ave, Suite 6, Waltham, MA 02451. Visit ccgfuneralhome.com for an online guestbook.