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Tom Welch Obituary

Thomas Andrew Welch

December 22, 1936 - May 17, 2013


Tom passed away peacefully at home with his family by his side after losing his one month battle with Leukemia . He was the youngest son of Lawrence and Edna Alberta Welch born in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1936. He first attended Stanford University and then UCLA where he graduated with a BA in Economics.


While attending UCLA he was introduced through mutual friends to his future wife Ann (Reinecke). They were married in September of 1959. In 1959, Tom served as a naval officer in the Pacific on board The USS Rochester, while Ann attended Long Beach State University to earn her Masters in Education. In 1962, Tom and Ann moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts where Tom attended Harvard Law School, and Ann taught middle school to help him get through law school. In 1965, he received his law degree from Harvard.


Tom wanted to get back to San Francisco, so he accepted an offer to become an Associate and then later a Partner with Brobeck Phleger & Harrison where he enjoyed a 30 year law career. In 1995, he retired from the law firm and enjoyed time as an Aribitrator. After having lived in San Francisco, Oakland, Orinda, and San Ramon, they moved to Walnut Creek in 2010.


Throughout his life, Tom devoted himself to a number of different organizations. He was a member of many organizations including the American Law Institute, American Arbitration Association, and The Bar of The Supreme Court of The United States. He also served as President of The Board of Directors of The Youth Law Center.


Most of all, he will always be remembered as a loving father, a devoted grandfather, and a committed friend to the many people he knew. He was a diehard fan of the Oakland A's for the past 40 years. In addition to watching baseball, he loved travelling, going to plays, and spending time with friends and family.


Tom was preceded in death by his wife Ann of 52 years. He is survived by his brother Larry Welch, his children Jon (Sonia), Michael (Sophie), and Susan (Claude), and his three grandchildren Garrett, Andrew, and Dax. We all love him and miss him very much.


A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11:00am on Monday, June 3rd at First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley located at 2407 Dana Street (the cross street is Channing Way) with a lunch reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, Little People of America, and The Youth Law Center.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle from May 22 to May 26, 2013.

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