Debra Welch

1954 - 2025

Debra Welch

September 13, 1954 - October 7, 2025

RAPID CITY, SD, – Debra Welch, 71, passed away peacefully at home under Hospice Care with her daughter Colleen and son-in-law Cory by her side on Tuesday, October 7, 2025.

Debra Beverly Gray was born September 13, 1954 in Fort Dix, Pemberton Township, New Jersey to Philip and Doris (Hobson) Gray. She conquered many challenges growing up, then graduated from Hamilton High West where she excelled at stenography.

She found employment immediately after graduating at the law firm Katzenbach, Gildea, & Rudner as a legal secretary in 1971. She soon met Mike Welch and relocated to Massachusetts, where she continued as a legal secretary at Wynn & Wynn in Taunton, MA from 1979 to 1981. She married Mike on April 12, 1980 and gave birth to a beautiful son, Michael J. Welch, Jr., on November 14, 1981. A few years later, they welcomed their second child, a daughter, Colleen Alice on February 2, 1984. Once the kids were in school, Debra became a secretarial icon at Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District in the Special Education Department, where she acquired the endearing title of "Queen Deb." She retired in 2014.

In the Autumn of 2016, Mike, Debra, and Colleen moved to the Black Hills of South Dakota and purchased a home up in the Hills off of Norris Peak Road. They had previously made several trips to the Black Hills to attend the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Her husband, Mike died suddenly in a motorcycle accident near Custer, SD in May of 2018. In the fall of 2020, Debra was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer and went into remission, but it returned in the fall of 2024.

Deb always enjoyed the color brown, savoring Prime Rib, or ordering anything from Piesano's Pacchia in Rapid City. She loved watching her late son play basketball, watching NFL football and NBA basketball, reading innumerable books- though her passion was showing Irish Wolfhounds, as well as anything to do with the rescue and care of animals. She allowed her children to have any creatures from cats and dogs to guinea pigs and iguanas, chameleons and even a tarantula! Though, dogs held a special place in her heart.

Survivors include her daughter: Colleen (Cory) Welch-Anderson of Rapid City; two sisters: Linda Ann Gray of NJ and Lorraine June Gray of Southwest Harbor, ME; her mother: Doris Griffin of New Jersey; nephews: Francis Welch of Raynham, MA, Todd (Kim) Welch of Dighton, MA; niece: Rosemarie (Pete) Welch-Burrell of Taunton, MA; grand-nephews: Todd (Ashley) Tigano of Taunton, MA and Mark Tigano of Raynham, MA; and a cousin Richard Hobson of Galloway, NJ.

Debra was preceded in death by her son Michael J. Welch, Jr., husband Michael J. Welch, Sr., and brother-in-law Francis Welch.

Memorial donations in her name may be made to the Humane Society of the Black Hills in Rapid City, Border Paws Dog Rescue in Rapid City, Battle Mountain Humane Society in Hot Springs, SD or any of your favorite local animal rescue shelters.

There will be no local services in Rapid City. Services will be held at future date in Raynham, Massachusetts in the spring of 2026.

Arrangements with Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home in Rapid City and an online guestbook may be signed at www.osheimschmidt.com