A live broadcast of the service will be on Wing Mortuary's Facebook page as soon as the service begins.

Our dear father, grandfather and great grandfather Raymond Dean Welch passed away peacefully on August 17, 2023 after struggling with Lewy Body dementia for more than four years. Dad was born January 17, 1930 in South Jordan, Utah to Zina Merle and Raymond John Welch.

Dad was a proud Jordan High School Beetdigger playing center and linebacker on the 1947 state championship football team that was not only undefeated, but they finished the regular season without an opponent scoring a single point. He was named to the All State team at the end of that season. Following high school dad continued his education and his football career at BYU. Dad received both his bachelor's and master's degrees from BYU.

Dad's father Raymond passed away in 1933 when dad was only 3 years old. He and his brother Billy and their mother spent much of the next 9 years together under some challenging circumstances. During that season of life between the ages of 3 and 12, dad and Billy became inseparable and remained so until Billy's untimely death in 1970. His mother became an anchor in dad's life. He loved and adored her and the family frequently spent Sunday afternoons at her home on the farm in Riverton where the cousins enjoyed football games on the front yard and exploring the barns, the dairy, and everything else on what seemed like a magical place of discovery for young children.  Grandma married Mahonri "Hon" Brigham Jensen in 1942. He became a much admired and beloved grandfather.  A few years following the marriage their family was blessed with two more siblings, a son Brent followed by a sister, Gayle.

In 1950 dad met Joan Evans, from Lehi, Utah on a blind date. Later that year on August 18 they were married in the Manti Utah Temple. Dad was a veteran of the U.S Army where he served from August of 1950 to April of 1952. Dad and mom were the parents of 7 children, Kerry (Pam) Alpine, Utah, Marc, Franklin,Tennessee, Tim (Michele) Highland, Utah, John (Debra) Las Vegas, Nevada, Robert (Robyn) St. George, Utah, Dan, West Jordan Utah, and Jan (Jason) Jacobsen, Cedar City, Utah. Dad and mom later divorced after he retired from teaching.

Dad spent most of his professional life as a teacher at Lehi High School and the last few years of his career as an Assistant Principal both at Lehi High School and Pleasant Grove High School. Dad loved teaching a variety of subjects including history and social studies, but his passion remained art which included both teaching and working on his own collection of art projects including oil paintings and a wide variety of ceramics. He would often speak with considerable fondness about one of his favorite students, Stanley Wanlass, who became an internationally acclaimed sculptor.

While raising a growing family dad was always busy during the summer with a variety of different jobs that included serving on the Lehi City Police force, working on his father in law's farm in west Lehi, selling insurance, building tennis courts, working as a lifeguard at Saratoga Resort, and for much of the last years of his working life driving bus to literally hundreds of different locations in the U.S. for Lewis Brothers Stages. Dad had a lifelong passion for cars of virtually every shape and variety. He was often found making the rounds at Utah County car lots. While only an infrequent buyer, it didn't prevent him from window shopping two or three times a week. One of the joys in his life came from his purchase of a 1929 Model A sports coupe around 1998. He kept it in immaculate condition and he was often seen puttering around St. George to the delight of his friends and neighbors.

While working on the farm for Grandpa Ruel Evans for many summers he became well acquainted with the 600 acres of dry farm. He spoke with deep respect for Grandpa Evans and also about one particular location on the farm where the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple now stands prominently above the valley. He described how the location of the temple site was referred to as "The Knoll."  During the last 3 years of his life he frequently talked about how it had a rocky steep face that prohibited any farm equipment on or around it. He would occasionally tell stories of how he and mom would have lunch together on the top of that knoll, which had a spectacular view of Utah Lake and the surrounding county, and wistfully dream about someday building a home on that location.

A few years following his retirement from the school district, dad moved to North Salt Lake where he met and subsequently married, Marjorie Fern Rogers. In 1994 they moved to St. George, Utah where they purchased a home on Vermillion Street where they lived for the next 25 years until Marjorie's death in August of 2019. Those years in St. George were among the happiest of dad's life. They traveled thousands of miles together pulling a camp trailer. They loved exploring the desert areas of southern Utah and Arizona both in a van or pickup as well as their side by side ATV. They were also lovers of dogs that became an essential part of family life in St. George.

Dad was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Marjorie, his younger brother Billy, a daughter in law, Rebecca Welch, a grandson, Robert Brooks, and great grandchildren Quinn Buck, Brigham Welch, Charlie Call, June Call, Madelyn Bruner, and Carson Welch. We would like to express special appreciation to the Memory Care staff at Highland Glen in Highland, Utah for their tender and loving care for dad during the past 10 months and a very special expression of gratitude to Tiffany Christiansen at Valeo Home Health who always seemed to lift his spirits each time she walked into his room. We will never forget how lovingly he was cared for during the last months of his life.

We are also grateful to Chris Wing and his staff at Wing Mortuary for their professional and compassionate care in preparing for both the memorial service in Lehi and the final interment in St. George. They made addressing the final end of life issues seem effortless.

A family gathering is scheduled for Saturday, August 26 at the Wing Mortuary located at 118 East Main Street in Lehi at 9:00 am and a memorial service for close friends and family to follow at 9:30. The interment will take place later that day at 3:30 pm at the Tonaquint Cemetery located at 1777 S. Dixie Drive, St. George, Utah.