George A. Welt Sr.

George A. Welt Sr. PORTSMOUTH - George A. Welt Sr., 80, went into our heavenly Father's waiting arms Jan. 27, 2009. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather; he was born Feb. 6, 1928, in Deckerville, Mich., to the late Clifford E. and Marjorie Pattullo Welt, and was the oldest of four children. He graduated from Lapeer High School in 1948 and joined the U.S. Marine Corps. George used his GI apprenticeship to become a linoleum, carpet and soft tile mechanic for 42 years. He retired from Chesapeake Public Schools Maintenance Dept. after 16 1/2 years. He was an assistant for Boy Scout Troop 214, a volunteer for Chesapeake Fire Dept. and Bennetts Creek Rescue Squad, a two gallon blood donor, a duck and tenpin bowler, a hunter and an all-around fisherman. George is survived by his wife of 57 years, Annis Williams Welt; a daughter, Nancy W. Schwarz (Timothy) of Chesapeake; three sons, George A. Welt Jr. (Connie), Stephen W. Welt (Tara) and Bruce A. Welt, all of Portsmouth; two sisters, Ruth Peckenpaugh and Mary Krieger (Charles); a brother, Dale E. Welt (Doreen); seven grandchildren, Bethany Schwarz (fiancé Louis Mitchell), Crystal Johnson (Billy), Melissa Watson (Chris Jr.), Michael Welt, Lynne Skeeter (Brian), Faye Lindsay (Stuart) and Norman Taitz Jr.; and 10 great-grandchildren. George loved his brothers and sisters in Christ at Central Baptist Church, where he was a member of the church and the Senior Sunday School Class and the family wishes to thank them for all the prayers, visits, cards and support they received during his illness; also to Heartland Hospice and their staff for their care. A funeral will be held at 1 p.m. Friday in Central Baptist Church, 1200 Hodges Ferry Road, Portsmouth, by the Revs. Tim Robertson and Dave Simpson. The family will receive friends in Sturtevant Funeral Home, Portsmouth Blvd. Chapel, today from 7 to 8:30 p.m. www.SturtevantFuneralHome.com.