Thomas Welch

Welch, Thomas H.
Thomas H. Welch, grandson of the founder of Welch's Grape Juice, Co, dies at 98.
Thomas H. Welch, a native of Westfield, NY and a 41-year resident of the Greenwich area, passed away on Tuesday July 29, 2014. Tom died of natural causes at the age of 98 in his home on Cognewaugh Rd. amongst family and loved ones. Tom was born Dec 4, 1915, the great grandson of Thomas Bramwell Welch, inventor of Dr. Welch's "Unfermented Grape Drink"and pioneer of the fruit juice industry and grandson of Charles Edgar Welch, who founded Welch Grape Juice Co.
Pictured are Tom and his wife Jane at their grandson Bramwell's wedding in 2010.
Thomas Welch attended Swarthmore College and Cornell University, from which he graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry in 1939. He was one of the first people hired to work at the Linde Division of Union Carbide Corporation in Buffalo, NY, which was developing and testing a variety of inorganic chemicals, including silicone to help with the war effort. Thomas worked for Union Carbide Corporation in various capacities developing the silicone business from 1940 until his retirement in 1976.
With his B.S. degree, Tom ultimately rose to the highest level of Union Carbide's corporate structure in New York City. In 1967 he was appointed Director of Research and Development for all of Union Carbide and appointed to the company's Central Management Committee. He managed the design and construction in 1968 of Union Carbide's new research facility at Tarrytown. It was the first project in Union Carbide's history that came in "on time and on budget". Between 1969 and his retirement in 1976, Thomas managed a team of 250 researchers and staff, 150 of which he recalled had more advanced educational degrees than he did. At the time of his retirement from Union Carbide, the company's silicon business that Thomas played a key role in developing had reached sales of $450 million (today's dollars).
After retiring at age 60 Tom, along with his wife Jane of 76 years, became very active in power boating. Tom recalled that the 1970's and 80's were a "golden age" for boating on Long Island Sound. He purchased a used wooden cruiser and with friends spent many weekends exploring and photographing the Sound and Atlantic Coast to Cape Cod. His Kodachrome slides still bring to vivid life the many features of that day; harbor activities, lighthouses, wildlife, even a resurfacing submarine. Boating in those days was still relatively inexpensive and available to most people with a boat. Tom recalled that he could tie up at any dock in any harbor for about $5.00 a night, which sometimes included fresh fish from the owner!
Tom was an active member of the local Power Squadron chapter, becoming an instructor of water safety, celestial navigation and master knot tying. One of his fondest and thrilling memories was being deputized by the Coast Guard to maintain an all night safety vigil on the Harlem River at the Spuyten Duyvil during the 1976 bi-centennial Tall Ships celebration.
Tom and Jane also engaged in philanthropic activities, especially helping to promote the work of his daughter, Martha G. Welch MD, who had pioneered a method for treating childhood emotional, behavioral and developmental disorders. They helped create and manage Dr. Welch's non-profit organization, The Mothering Center of Greenwich CT, which operated in Greenwich and New York City for many years treating families with children suffering from emotional, behavioral and developmental disorders. Tom was keenly invested in all aspects of his daughter's work and, until the last, remained a key mentor and advisor to her research at Columbia University Medical Center, where Dr Welch is Co-Director of the Nurturescience Program.
Tom was preceded in death by two siblings, Paul R. Welch and Charles E. Welch. He is survived by his sister, Jean Welch Tiedemann, a son, Stephen Todd (Carol Goodman Welch) and two daughters, Elizabeth Ann Welch MD (Stephen E. Glinick MD) and Martha Grace Welch MD (Robert J. Ludwig), two grandchildren, Thomas Bramwell Welch-Horan (Jessica Merrill) and Emily Glinick (Daniel Wilson), and two great grandchildren. Tom donated his body to Yale Medical School for research. He was a long-time member of the Unitarian Church. A memorial service was held at his home on August 1. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Nathaniel Witherell or to The Trustees of Columbia University, NurtureScience Program, C/O Anke Nolting, Associate Dean of Development, Columbia University, 2-250 Black Building, 630 West 168th Street, NY, NY 10032.