Donald Welch

      Donald Welch, age 86, of Tyngsboro, MA, died of natural causes in his home on January 24, 2024. 

     He was born in New Britain, CT to Marion Cleveland Welch (aka “Gaga”), and had fond memories of his time on the New Britain High School football team, winning 3 state championships and serving as team captain. Donald received a degree in Economics from Bates College where he was a 3 year letter winner in football as well as a captain his senior year. While at Bates, he was recruited by his coach Bob Hatch to spend his summers working as a counselor at a summer camp named Agassiz Village. Soon after graduating he and Barbara were married and they moved to Boston where he took a job as a teacher and varsity basketball coach at the Huntington School. In 1974, the school was merged with Chapel Hill Chauncy Hall school in Waltham, where he continued to teach and coach for the next 28 years, eventually becoming the school’s Athletic Director. Currently, the school awards a graduating senior the Donald Welch Award for outstanding achievement in Social Studies. 

     In the summer of ‘69, Donald and Barbara returned to Agassiz Village and began a stretch of 25 years spending their summers at the camp enriching the lives of thousands of campers and staff, primarily from under-resourced communities in Massachusetts and Maine. In addition to welcoming their own 3 children, Kyle, Cathi, and Kevin, Don and Barb served as “summer surrogate parents” to many of the young campers and staff, often away from home for the first time. He was always deeply moved to catch up with his Agassiz family and hear stories of the vital role growing up at the camp had in their lives. 

     As a career coach, he found great joy and pride in cheering on his children and grandchildren in their various sports, and was an avid fan of the Uconn Women’s basketball program to the very end. 

     Donald is survived by his son Kyle and his wife Rebekah, Daughter Cathi, and son Kevin and his wife Sunshine; his grandchildren Casi, Madeleine, Owen, Shiloh, and Kaiden; his sister Judith Friend and husband Don, many nephews and nieces, and his faithful grand-dog Chloe. He is preceded in death by his wife Barbara and his sister and her husband Patricia and Donald McEnaney. 

     A Celebration of Life is planned for March 16th from 12-3pm at Princeton Station, 147 Princeton St, North Chelmsford, MA. Please share memories and photos to Cathi Welch . 

     In lieu of flowers, it is Donald’s wish that donations be made to https://www.agassizvillage.org/

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