Robert H. Welsh ’48

Date posted: February 5, 2018, 3:37 pm

Robert H. Welsh of North Hill, Needham, died peacefully on Dec. 22, 2017. He was 91. A longtime resident of Wellesley Hills, Bob was born in 1926 in Jersey City, New Jersey, to Walter and Annie Welsh. He grew up in Montclair, New Jersey, with his sister, Fanny (McCallum), and his brother, Donald.

He started college at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at age 16 in order to complete some of his education before he was drafted to serve in World War II. During WWII, Bob served as a staff sergeant in the United States Armys Corps of Engineers. He was stationed in Jacksonville, Florida, Lexington, Kentucky, and Fort Hood, Texas. WWII ended just prior to his anticipated deployment. After WWII, he returned to MIT and joined the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. He graduated in 1949 with a degree in textile engineering. Later in life, he studied at Columbia University’s executive management program.

Bob worked at the Ludlow Corp. for many years, and ultimately owned Ludlow Textiles until his retirement. He was married to his wife, Margaret (Stueck), for 65 years. The pair met on a blind date at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston, and they were married in Middletown, Connecticut, in October 1950. Bob and Margy had three children, Carol, Robert Jr., and Nancy Welsh, and five grandchildren, Peter (Ferguson), Parker (Welsh), Brian (Isbell), Scott (Isbell), and Katherine (Isbell).

Bob enjoyed gardening, home-improvement projects, travelling, and being with his grandchildren. He also loved practical jokes, cookies, and butter pecan ice cream. He spent most summers at Grove Beach in Westbrook, Connecticut at the family cottage, where he liked to sail, spend time with family and friends, and sit on the porch with his wife. He was a proud owner of multiple boats throughout his life, including Carona, Saltwater Taffy, and Pink Flamingo. He was a member of  Newton Wellesley Hospital’s board of trustees, where he served as president for a time, as well as the Liberty Mutual board of trustees, the North Hill board of directors, the St. Marys Cemetery Committee, the Wellesley Mens Club, and the Wellesley Country Club.