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Kathleen Welch

Kathleen A. “Kathie” Welch, age 79, a longtime resident of Deep River and recently Chester, passed away at Hartford Hospital on the morning of Feb. 19, 2024, after a brief illness. She was born Aug. 14, 1944, in Wooster, Ohio, the daughter of Edward F. Welch and Maude (Hunt) Welch.

She was Ms. Welch to the hundreds of students who passed through her fifth-grade classroom at the Mile Creek School in Old Lyme. Kathie taught there for 28 years and was named Lyme-Old Lyme Teacher of the Year in November 1990. In the words of a close friend and fellow educator, “She had a phenomenal proficiency at guiding young minds.” A lifelong learner herself, she earned multiple post-graduate degrees.

Kathie grew up in Aruba, where her father was employed by Lago Oil and Transport Company and where she was known for her leading roles in most of the Lago High School theater productions. She had a passion for reading, was an active member of several book clubs, and helped select books for the library at Masonicare in Chester, where she spent her last years. She was a longtime patron of both Goodspeed Opera House and the Ivoryton Playhouse, a fierce bridge competitor, and a world traveler, including a solo trip to China. Winters were spent in Florida and on Caribbean cruises.

She is survived by her brother, James P. Welch, and his wife, Sylvia K. S. Welch of Valatie, New York, and their daughter, Crista N. Welch of Oakland, California. She is also survived by her sister Dorothy Welch Budnick and her husband Donald Budnick of Madison; their son Aaron W. Budnick, his wife Jeanine (Volpicella) Budnick and their daughter Natalie A. Budnick of West Hartford; as well as their son Justin E. Budnick, his wife Ieva (Rozgaite) Budnick, their sons, Oliver Budnick and Lukas Budnick of West Hartford. Aunt Kathie will be missed.

In keeping with her wishes, burial services at the Deep River Congregational Church Cemetery will be private. Memorial contributions in her name may be made online or by mail at Vision To Learn, a non-profit organization that provides eye exams and glasses to school children to ensure that they can succeed in school and in life. Donations may be designated for use in Connecticut. (Vision to Learn, 12100 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1275, Los Angeles, CA 90025 or visiontolearn.org). To share a memory or to leave a condolence, please visit www.rwwfh.com. Arrangements are in the care of the Robinson, Wright & Weymer Funeral Home.