In Memory Of
Donald Matchett Welsh
1937
2019
Donald Matchett Welsh
June 11, 1937 — August 26, 2019
Donald M. Welsh, age 82, passed away on Monday, August 26, 2019, in Cheyenne, WY.
Born the second of three sons to Robert and Elizabeth (Carter) Welsh on June 11, 1937, Don Welsh spent his childhood in Denver, Phoenix, then Boulder City, NV, where he met Joan Whittington. He attended C.U. Boulder, where he joined ROTC and competed on the swim team while pursuing a dual degree in Electrical Engineering and Business. He and Joan were married in Boulder City, NV in 1960, and shortly after graduation he attended Air Force Pilot Training in Chandler, AZ. His sons Joseph and Brian were born in 1962 and 1963, while he and Joan lived on bases in Chandler, AZ and Reno, NV. He was deployed to Vietnam in 1964 to fly rescue helicopters, earning a Silver Star for making one of the first rescues of a downed pilot in North Vietnam. He returned from Vietnam in the fall of 1965 and left the Air Force in 1967, the year his daughter, Jennifer, was born.
The family moved back to Boulder, CO, where Don worked for the National Bureau of Standards before taking a position as an engineer with the Adolph Coors Co. in Golden, CO. He and Joan raised their children to appreciate all the Rockies had to offer with numerous trips into the mountains to ski, hike, bike, and fish. He loved and maintained the family’s cabin in Buffalo, CO, where generations have gathered since the late 1800s.
He was divorced, then married Carolyn (Fenimore) Montgomery in 1982, welcoming stepsons Kevin, Eric Michael, and Joshua Montgomery to his family. He retired from Coors in 1995 and soon after moved to Norwood, CO, where he and Carolyn worked for the local school and enjoyed being back in a small community. Don was grounded in a strong faith through the Orthodox Christian church, and he and Carolyn found deep fellowship as founding members of St. Luke’s Antiochian Orthodox Church in Erie, CO and later as members of St. Andrews Orthodox Church in Delta, CO and Holy Apostles Orthodox Church in Cheyenne, WY.
In 2016 Don and Carolyn moved to Laramie, WY to be closer to family. He spent his last few years exchanging visits with his brother, Myron, and their extended families and enjoying the company of his youngest grandchildren.
Lover of western backroads, stray cats, and loyal dogs, Don was happiest on a porch surrounded by friends and family. He enjoyed anyone else’s cooking, would try his hand to fix anything, could strike up a conversation with anyone, and could tell you exactly what the weather was doing wherever his kids were living. He put neighbors before politics and has left a legacy of family and the joy of a well-lived moment that will endure. He will be deeply missed by so many.
Don is survived by his wife, Carolyn (Fenimore) Welsh; sons Joe (Mary) Welsh, and Brian (Katherine) Welsh; daughter Jennifer (Robert Sturr) Welsh; stepsons Kevin (Sarah Burge) Montgomery, Michael (Cheri ) Montgomery, Joshua (Randi) Montgomery; brother Myron (Anne) Welsh; and 14 grandchildren. Don was preceded in death by his brother James Welsh, his mother Elizabeth (Carter) Welsh and his father Robert Welsh.
Visitation will be Friday, 5-6, at Holy Apostles Orthodox Christian Church.
Funeral services will be Satuday, 10:00 a.m., at Holy Apostles Orthodox Christian Church.
Interment will be in Mountain View Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers please direct donations to
North Fork Volunteer Fire Department
EMAIL: nffpd@aol.com
PO BOX 183 BUFFALO CREEK, CO 80425
http://www.northforkfire.org
Protection of the Holy Virgin Orthodox Monastery
2343 County Rd 403, Lake George, CO 80827
https://www.oca.org/parishes/oca-we-boupvm
Born the second of three sons to Robert and Elizabeth (Carter) Welsh on June 11, 1937, Don Welsh spent his childhood in Denver, Phoenix, then Boulder City, NV, where he met Joan Whittington. He attended C.U. Boulder, where he joined ROTC and competed on the swim team while pursuing a dual degree in Electrical Engineering and Business. He and Joan were married in Boulder City, NV in 1960, and shortly after graduation he attended Air Force Pilot Training in Chandler, AZ. His sons Joseph and Brian were born in 1962 and 1963, while he and Joan lived on bases in Chandler, AZ and Reno, NV. He was deployed to Vietnam in 1964 to fly rescue helicopters, earning a Silver Star for making one of the first rescues of a downed pilot in North Vietnam. He returned from Vietnam in the fall of 1965 and left the Air Force in 1967, the year his daughter, Jennifer, was born.
The family moved back to Boulder, CO, where Don worked for the National Bureau of Standards before taking a position as an engineer with the Adolph Coors Co. in Golden, CO. He and Joan raised their children to appreciate all the Rockies had to offer with numerous trips into the mountains to ski, hike, bike, and fish. He loved and maintained the family’s cabin in Buffalo, CO, where generations have gathered since the late 1800s.
He was divorced, then married Carolyn (Fenimore) Montgomery in 1982, welcoming stepsons Kevin, Eric Michael, and Joshua Montgomery to his family. He retired from Coors in 1995 and soon after moved to Norwood, CO, where he and Carolyn worked for the local school and enjoyed being back in a small community. Don was grounded in a strong faith through the Orthodox Christian church, and he and Carolyn found deep fellowship as founding members of St. Luke’s Antiochian Orthodox Church in Erie, CO and later as members of St. Andrews Orthodox Church in Delta, CO and Holy Apostles Orthodox Church in Cheyenne, WY.
In 2016 Don and Carolyn moved to Laramie, WY to be closer to family. He spent his last few years exchanging visits with his brother, Myron, and their extended families and enjoying the company of his youngest grandchildren.
Lover of western backroads, stray cats, and loyal dogs, Don was happiest on a porch surrounded by friends and family. He enjoyed anyone else’s cooking, would try his hand to fix anything, could strike up a conversation with anyone, and could tell you exactly what the weather was doing wherever his kids were living. He put neighbors before politics and has left a legacy of family and the joy of a well-lived moment that will endure. He will be deeply missed by so many.
Don is survived by his wife, Carolyn (Fenimore) Welsh; sons Joe (Mary) Welsh, and Brian (Katherine) Welsh; daughter Jennifer (Robert Sturr) Welsh; stepsons Kevin (Sarah Burge) Montgomery, Michael (Cheri ) Montgomery, Joshua (Randi) Montgomery; brother Myron (Anne) Welsh; and 14 grandchildren. Don was preceded in death by his brother James Welsh, his mother Elizabeth (Carter) Welsh and his father Robert Welsh.
Visitation will be Friday, 5-6, at Holy Apostles Orthodox Christian Church.
Funeral services will be Satuday, 10:00 a.m., at Holy Apostles Orthodox Christian Church.
Interment will be in Mountain View Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers please direct donations to
North Fork Volunteer Fire Department
EMAIL: nffpd@aol.com
PO BOX 183 BUFFALO CREEK, CO 80425
http://www.northforkfire.org
Protection of the Holy Virgin Orthodox Monastery
2343 County Rd 403, Lake George, CO 80827
https://www.oca.org/parishes/oca-we-boupvm
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Donald Matchett Welsh, please visit our flower store.
Service Schedule
Past Services
Visitation
Friday, August 30, 2019
Starts at 5:00 pm (Mountain time)
Holy Apostles Orthodox Christian Church
Trisagion Service
Friday, August 30, 2019
Holy Apostles Orthodox Christian Church
Service
Saturday, August 31, 2019
Holy Apostles Orthodox Christian Church
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