Obituary of Virgina Welch

Greeting and Welcome

Thank you for being here today to honor Virginia Welch and her life. Gina touched so many lives with her support and love.

Introduction of Who Your Mother-in-Law Was

Virginia was born on March 16, 1940, in Tucson, AZ and spent the vast majority of her life in the Tucson area. Gina went to work at First Interstate. She loved her supervisory and teller responsibilities in the Bank and her opportunity to work with and help people. She also cherished her time at Our Mother of Sorrows as she supported the church and congregation.

But for Gina, her love of family, friends and animals always came first.

She enjoyed people and her pets. She loved Tucson and Arizona and was grateful to live in the beautiful desert. She spent hours admiring and feeding the desert birds. Gina also had a passion for her pet dogs. I cannot remember a time when she did not have a pet during the many years that I knew her. They were always part of the family. Gina supporting animal shelters and rescue centers, making sure that these animals were taken care of. She eagerly made donations as she shared her devotion to “her horses” and “her animals.”

Gina was devoted to her church, and celebrated her faith with others. She was proud to celebrate her faith at Our Mother of Sorrows and spoke about the leadership and members with love. She was passionate about teaching the religious classes as the young children learned about the values and traditions of the Catholic Church. Preparing the lessons with her husband, Ray, was a highlight of her week. She knew every child’s interest and celebrated their growth.

As you all know, she loved to bake, create delicious Mexican meals, and feed people. Her house was always busy with friends and family. Our family benefitted from her devotion to feeding the people she loved. Through the years, we would enjoy the special meals that she created to enjoy at the end of our busy work day. A special memory was the joy she shared in her chicken tacos. She created the healthier taco recipe, after I had open heart surgery. In an effort to prepare a heart healthy meal, Gina made chicken tacos which became the staple at family gatherings. The small gesture of changing the ingredients to support her family’s health exemplified her devotion to her family.

My mother-in-law, Gina, was so proud of her family and friends and their accomplishments… the love of her life, Husband of 58 years Raymond, her daughters Andrea and Theresa, her granddaughters Amanda, Samantha, and Ashley, her nephew Matt, her niece Katie, her many great nieces and great nephews and her sister-in-law Marie, and Brother-in-law Philip. She enthusiastically shared the latest news about her family and friends as soon as you entered her house. She would greet you with the phrase, “Let me tell you…” and then the happy report would begin!

Samantha and Amanda recall their grandmother’s devotion to them by picking them up from school every day and volunteering in their friends and teachers school classrooms. Her days were filled with working in the classrooms, preparing materials and supporting the children at Wrightstown Elementary School. She was eager to help all the children. The girls also remember spending many hours baking and cooking as Gina shared the family recipes. When you walked into the house, you would hear the loving conversations as the meal was being prepared.

Closing Tribute

Virginia Welch was so much more to me than a mother-in-law. She was a friend and supporter. She was there for my family. When she passed, I felt an emptiness. But then I remembered the conversations I had with her. I realized she will always be a friend to me. Our family memories are rich in love and support. It was an honor in life, to be her son-in-law. Thank you, Virginia. May you rest in peace.