Obituaries : Vincent Eugene 'Gene' Welsh

Vincent Eugene “Gene” Welsh

Vincent Eugene “Gene” Welsh passed away on Friday, April 9, 2010. Services were held Tuesday, April 13, at St. Joseph Church, St. Louis, for 10 a.m. Mass.

Gene’s death from complications of kidney failure and came peacefully at Garden View Care Center in Valley Park, MO, on Friday, April 9, 2010, at the age of 84. He is survived by his seven children: Kathleen ( Frank) Van Steenhuyse of Vinton, IA, Michael ( Jill) Welsh, Mary ( Bob) Roman, Daniel ( Lori) Welsh, all of St. Louis, MO, Kevin ( Kaori) Welsh of Anthem, AZ, Shaun ( Jenell) Welsh of St. Louis, MO, and Gene ( Joanne) Welsh of Chicago, IL. He leaves a legacy of fifteen beloved grandchildren: Todd (Jenn), Kate (Ryan), Mark (Abby), Anne, Susie (Maggi), Katie, Chelsey, Caitlyn, Shanna, Kristyn, Haley, Ma-son, Sophie, Jake, Colin, and one great-grandson, Conor Daniel. He is also survived by many beloved cousins and in-laws in Baltimore, MD, and Buffalo, NY. Gene was preceded in death by his parents and only sister, Anne Marie Welsh, and his beloved wife and soul-mate, Vera. Pop–Pop’s fatherly smile, sharp wit, advice, Irish tenor voice and love of tell-ing jokes will be sorely missed by all.

In lieu of flowers, contributions to Friends of Kids With Cancer, American Kidney Foundation, or charity of your choice appreciated.

Vincent Eugene (Gene) "Pop-Pop" Welsh was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on August 15, 1925, the son of Mary Sweeney and Vincent DePaul Welsh. He graduated from Baltimore Polytechnic High School, was awarded an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, and graduated from The Johns Hopkins University in Electrical Engineering, which he earned in only three years. He then began his celebrated 43-year career with the General Electric Company as an industrial sales engineering specialist. He was "properly introduced" to the late Vera Cecelia Kreis by her mother, Elvira (Nan) Kreis, at choir practice. They married in Baltimore on October 9, 1948, honeymooning at Niagara Falls. The newlyweds first lived in Schenectady, NY, then were transferred to Chicago, IL, and finally to St. Louis, in 1963. Gene’s main customers in St. Louis were Monsanto Chemical Company and the Peabody Coal Company. He consulted on several international projects as well. His engineering and sales expertise earned him the General Electric Company’s highest national award in 1985-86 for selling control equipment for a new nuclear power plant in Texas. He retired from GE in 1987 and continued to consult for his company for the next five years.

Vera "Gram" and Gene devoted countless hours to their seven children’s and fifteen grand-children’s sports and activities. Pop-Pop was an avid sports fan; acrobatics was his own spe-cial sport, which several of his grandchildren tried during their own childhood.

Gene helped to build, renovate, or expand their new Catholic church each time they moved, totaling eight. He was very proud of his work to foster vocations to the priesthood through the Serra Club of St. Louis. He also supported Catholic education for all of his children. Gene loved jitterbugging and ballroom dancing, playing bridge, golf, and traveling. Gene was professionally trained as a high tenor. He shared his talent with countless families at weddings and funerals, and maybe a few Irish piano bars. He always sang in the choir, be-lieving that his gift was from God whom he honored by his faithful renditions.

Gene and Vera had a vacation home in Ocala, Florida, where they enjoyed retirement. Wherever they lived, Pop-Pop and Gram enjoyed hosting parties, wearing goofy costumes and masks, welcoming family and friends with silly signs, and other "funzies." Their children and grandchildren have inherited the same love of fun and joke-telling.

Everyone’s Home

By John Daniel Welsh

Friday night, Five bedrooms on Pine

Pops and his friends,Manhattans and wine

Singing, Harmony,The long week done

The brown lined sofas, Vera and "the girls"

trying to guess the mystery names, pinned to their back

bridge table waiting, kids at the game,more in the back

Saturday, home day, every one chores

Climbing the ladder, Painting the door

Letting someone take out his car, My best and only

Don’t you go far.

Waiting up, Till every one’s home

Everyone’s home.

Sunday morning

Sings in the shower, Warming up for mass, Ten o’clock hour

then Ice cream cones, Short drive home

Sunday paper, Early evening supper

Every one’s home.