Charlie Welch Obituary

Charlie Welch attended Ontario High School in Mansfield, OH. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Charlie Welch.

Graduation Year	Class of 1971
Date of Passing	Aug 27, 2022
About	“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4: 7 Charles Russell Welch, 70, was surrounded in love as he finished his race on Saturday, August 27, 2022 at his home in Crestline. It is difficult to sum up one’s life in a few short sentences. Charlie’s life was so much more than a paragraph and a few funny stories. We want you to know him and let you understand what a great guy he was and is forever in our hearts. Our lives were better for having him in them, even if for just a short while. The son of Frank M. and Ruth Ann (Tinkey) Welch, Charlie was born on April 12, 1952, in Mansfield and remained a lifelong area resident. A graduate of Ontario High School class of 1971, Charlie attended Bluffton University. Charlie and Denise A. Gwinner were united in marriage on August 31, 1980. The memories that Charlie and Denise created throughout their marriage journey are now cherished treasures of the heart. Charlie’s work history was long and varied. He drove truck for Roger Au Company, was a tool and die maker and Project Manager for Therm-O-Disc and Jay Industries, and raised, bred, trained, and showed Appaloosa and Quarter Horses. As a young man he worked on the family farm- some of his fondest memories happened on that farm. He loved the smell of fresh turned earth, freshly mowed hay, and the vibrant green of the wheat in the spring. Charlie could tell a joke like no other! He would begin a story and have you wanting to believe it until he told you the punch line at the end. The smile on his face as he watched you realize you had just been taken was priceless followed by his uproarious laughter. Everyone loved hearing Charlie’s stories as much as he enjoyed sharing them. A weekend at a horseshow was a weekend of hard work typically ending with a late-night campfire and a touch of humor. Charlie’s horses always did well in the ring and he encouraged his competitors with good natured teasing. His circle of friends was large and varied- friends from his days at Ontario, college classmates, work, the horse business, and others he met on his journey through life. Charlie would greet you with a quick smile and genuine handshake always asking how life was treating you. Charlie lived life as it came and enjoyed those people who shared it with him. His time with family and friends was priceless. Charlie supported and encouraged his family; he was their rock and gave so much of himself to them. He believed in letting people know he appreciated them. Keeping in touch with old friends, and making new, was his way of life. Charlie accomplished much in his lifetime; but he would be the first to tell you that everything pales in comparison to his family. His family was his pride and joy and, especially during his last few months, they gave him great comfort and peace. Charlie is survived by his beloved wife of 42 years, Denise A. (Gwinner) Welch; children: Shane (Tara) Welch, Jodi (Mandi Whitlatch) Welch, Cory (Rachel) Welch; grandchildren: Raegan, Ashtyn, Oliver, C.J., Hayleigh and Blaine; siblings: Ted (Brian Walters) Welch; Kathleen (Mike) Shaffer, David (Melody) Welch, Karen (Daryl) Slusher, and Carl Welch