Harry Harlan Welsh III

1946 - 2022

Harry Harlan Welsh III
April 6, 1946 - December 21, 2022
Lake Tapawingo, Missouri - Harry Harlan Welsh III, age 76, of Lake Tapawingo - "the land of enchanted waters" - died peacefully at home on December 21.
Harry was born April 6, 1946 to Harry and Elizabeth Welsh of Kansas City, Missouri.
From a young age, Harry had a passion for adventure and creative expression, be it discovering freakish amphibians when the local creek flooded or flushing a cherry bomb down a toilet at the country club pool.
He'd bicycle to the Stover Mansion, where Granny Stover would serve Harry and his friends freshly made chocolate candies and Eskimo Pies.
He was an Eagle Scout and a firebuilder in the Tribe of Mic-O-Say. His tribal name: Little Golden Thundercloud.
As a student at Pembroke Country Day (Pem-Day), Harry was a standout in track, basketball and football. Boasting elite speed and a vertical jump of over 40 inches, Harry competed in the golden age of Kansas City high school basketball and his teams were perennial state contenders in football. Unfortunately, devastating knee injuries ended Harry's sports career prematurely.
At Trinity University in San Antonio, Harry found the arts. Upon graduation, Harry became a working artist in the abstract expressionist tradition and taught for a while at the school. Later in life, Harry wrote screenplays and novels. The desire to create was a constant throughout Harry's life. "Light and shadow and color - that's what I know," he would always say.
In 1977, Harry laid his eyes on a TWA flight attendant while at New Stanley's (now Harry's Bar and Tables). "She beamed like a star." Harry married Frances the next year. Together they traveled extensively, criss-crossing the country by car and, in their later years, undertaking an Alaskan cruise.
It's no coincidence Harry departed this Earth at the onset of winter solstice, the day of the sun's rebirth.
"Historically, winter solstice celebrations honored the symbolism of fire and light, along with life, death, the rising sun and the moon. It's the darkest day of the year but holds the promise for rebirth. It's the perfect time to release darkness to make room for light and happiness."
Harry is survived by his wife, Frances; two children, Hugh and Joannie; three grandchildren, Wes, Celine and Nellie; and four siblings, John, Jean, Karen and Sue.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation to an arts program at your local school district.