David P. Welch

David P. Welch, 81, of Ruckersville, VA, died of cancer on March 26, 2025. He was born in Fond du Lac, WI, son of Francis and Dorothy Kilps Welch. He graduated from University of San Francisco in 1965. At USF he joined the ROTC and upon graduation was commissioned in the U.S. Army, serving as an E.O.D. officer assigned to the San Diego Naval Base and discharged as a captain in October 1968. In January 1969 David was sworn in as a Special Agent of the U.S. Secret Service. His assignments in Los Angeles and Washington, DC included training, inspection, and the Dignitary Protection Division (DPD). He traveled with President Nixon in 1970 on this first visit to China by a U.S. president. From 1988 through 1993 his DPD assignments protected 72 heads of state and several kings and queens including Chancellor Kohl, PM Thatcher, King Hussein, Boris Yeltsin, and PM Rabin. He retired from the USSS in December 1999. After retirement David volunteered at the Fairfax County Police Internal Affairs Division. He enjoyed hiking, skiing, golfing, and foreign travel jaunts. He and his wife moved to Ruckersville, VA, in 2017, and became involved in the retirement community there. Survivors include his wife of 50 years, Barbara Bensinger Welch, his sons Christopher and Kevin, his daughter-in-law Rebecca Scimone, his beloved grandchildren Molly and Westley, sisters Kathleen Delagnes and Suzanne Welch, brother Michael, and sister-in-law Diane Bensinger. Burial with military honors will be at the National Cemetery in Culpeper, VA. Condolences may be shared with his family on the tribute wall.