Georgia Elmes Welles

1930 - 2023

Georgia Elmes Welles

October 30, 1930 - August 3, 2023

Georgia E. Welles passed away peacefully at her Bowling Green, OH, home on August 3, 2023. She was preceded in death by her husband, David K. Welles; her grandson, Ted Welles; her great granddaughter, Jane Wellstein; and her sister, Mary Terry. She is survived by her sister, Dee Dee Ireland; brother, Chuck Elmes; and her children, Deke (Hopie), Ginny, Jeff (Maud), Peter and Chris (Rene). She also is survived by 13 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.

Georgia had a deep passion for many endeavors, particularly family, education, outdoor pursuits, conservation, and art. In each of these areas she united leadership with philanthropy to leave a lasting legacy.

To family Georgia was known as Mom, Granny and GG. She served as the focal point for many get-togethers, especially at the central gathering place and "hearth" of her extended family on the North Channel of Lake Huron in Ontario. Family games, skits and water activities abound there in the beautiful natural setting that gave inspiration to Georgia's and David's founding of the Cricket Island Foundation. From its beginning in 2000, the Foundation's goal was to explicitly involve multiple generations of the Welles family to unite in the pursuit of its mission to support youth-led social change. The Foundation's present president is one of Georgia's granddaughters. To allow for individual philanthropic causes that resonated with each child, Georgia also established the Granny Fund with the Greater Toledo Community Foundation.

Georgia attended North Shore Country Day School (Winnetka, IL) and Vassar College and knew well the value of high quality education. All of her children attended Maumee Valley Country Day School. Not merely a student parent, Georgia served as president of Maumee Valley's board of trustees, Head of School in 1974 and endowment board trustee. She was honored as a trustee emerita and with the Georgia Welles Head of School Chair "in recognition of Georgia's outstanding and continuous leadership over several decades at MVCDS."

Georgia had an unwavering love for wildlife, nature and conservation. Be it viewing loons in Canada, gorillas in Rwanda or trout in many rivers foreign and domestic, she was avid. Her expert fly fishing skills allowed her to not only spot but catch (and release) hundreds of trout over her lifetime. She had a particular knack for always catching the largest fish of the trip, a knack which she also parlayed into drawing just the right cards in gin rummy or rolling just the right combination of dice in backgammon. This was extraordinary.

In line with her interest in all things outdoors and her desire to protect them, Georgia served on the global board of the Nature Conservancy as well as on the Conservancy's Ohio and Argentina boards. She was on the board of Florida's Indian River Land Trust and an advisory board member of the Kensington Conservancy, Ontario. She also supported numerous other conservation organizations over many years and was instrumental in the production of the film, Fate of a River: Apathy or Action about industrial pollution on the Maumee River in 1965.

Among her passions, Georgia's love of art was paramount. When she first entered the Toledo Museum of Art in the 1950s she became fully immersed - learning, teaching and giving back. She had a discerning eye and put together a broad and impressive art collection, much of which is being donated to the museum. Beyond her role as collector and donor, Georgia and her husband David established the museum's Apollo Society in 1986. It was renamed the Georgia Welles Apollo Society in 2017 to acknowledge her significant and enduring contribution to the donor group. She established a similar art acquisition affinity body, the Athena Society at the Vero Beach (FL) Museum of Art in 2003. Georgia served as a trustee of the Vero Beach Museum of Art and was an honorary director of the Toledo Museum of Art.

Georgia lived a fully engaged, curious and passionate life, always eager to learn and contribute. In many ways she was a "force of nature" and she will be dearly missed.

Georgia's family extends their deep gratitude and love to Janet Hall who assisted and supported their mother over many years with incredible devotion and strength. They suggest that those wishing to make memorial contributions consider sending them to the Toledo Museum of Art or The Nature Conservancy. Please also consider a visit to TMA's Georgia and David K. Welles Sculpture Garden to remember her. A celebration of life service will be private.