Edward M. Welch, 76, of Hudson, Fla. and Naugatuck, Conn., passed away peacefully on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2014 in Florida.
Ed spent his career in the Naugatuck school system as a custodian and a crossing guard, with the majority of his time having been spent at Andrew Avenue Elementary School. Ed will be remembered for his welcoming smile and encouraging words to all students as they came to and from school. He always felt he was not only at the school to serve the students, but to also provide them with a clean and healthy environment in which to learn. Andrew Avenue School and the comfort of its children were his loving goal.
Ed loved his hometown and was known and admired by thousands of Naugatuck residents. His love for Naugatuck was reflected in the choice of his Connecticut vanity license plate “NAUGY.” When Ed moved to Florida, he made sure he obtained “NAUGY” on his Florida license plate. Ed was a dedicated communicant of St. Mary’s Church where he attended, volunteered and was an active member and a fourth degree knight of the Knight of Columbus, O.J.E.D.A. Council.
Even after his retirement, Ed devoted his life to helping people. He was a volunteer at Bayonett Point Hospital in Hudson and also was an ambassador helping new residents at Atria Windsor Woods get adjusted to their new surroundings. Here too he met and was admired by many, bringing them a joke and a smile.
Ed had many burdens in his own life, but he unselfishly chose to help others cope with the difficulties in their lives, as this helped him forget about his own.
Ed was predeceased by a son, Edward Jude Welch; his parents, Thomas J. Welch and Margaret H. (Kelleher) Welch, and siblings Joan, David, and Thomas F. Welch.
Ed is survived by three siblings, Ronald Welch of Bluffton, S.C., Maureen Welch Hunter of Encinitas, Calif., and Daniel Welch of Southington, Conn. as well as several nieces and nephews including his two Godchildren, Michael Welch and Karen Welch Parker.
A Memorial Mass was celebrated at St. Michael’s Church in Hudson on Monday, Oct. 13 at 11 a.m. An interment service will be held at St. James Cemetery, Cross Street, Naugatuck, on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014 at 10 a.m. Local arrangements have been entrusted to the Buckmiller Thurston Mengacci Funeral Home, 82 Fairview Ave., Naugatuck, CT 06770.
To honor Ed’s memory, memorial donations may be made to the Andrew Avenue School, Andrew Avenue, Naugatuck, CT 06770. All contributions will be used to sustain the outdoor classroom at the school Ed loved, and to place a memorial plaque in remembrance of him.
To leave an online condolence, visit www.buckmillerthurstonmengacci.com.
