Geoffrey Charles Welch

1949 - 2020

Geoffrey Charles Welch was born on the 5th day of July in the year 1949. He was the second child born that day to his parents, Richard T. & Margaret Rice Welch in Proctor, Vermont. His fraternal twin brother, Gregory Stephen, had been born several minutes before him. In those days, in the small town of West Rutland, Vermont, it was quite novel to have the birth of a set of fraternal twins & many neighbors in the community came to pay homage. Over his almost 71 years on this earth Geoffrey would often state that he should have been christened with the

middle name Chaucer-as in Geoffrey Chaucer; the greatest English poet/author of the Middle Ages, who wrote The Canterbury Tales -a novel about a pilgrimage of stories about the many walks of people in life. Such best describes the life of our brother, Geoffrey C. Welch-his life was also a pilgrimage of sorts- a journey in search of moral & spiritual significance amidst human struggles & achievement of resilience.

Geoffrey was highly intelligent with superior verbal skills who could remember infinite details about the history of our country & the world & would share this knowledge with anyone who would listen because it was very important to him.

His pilgrimage began as a young boy born with visual limitations & unfamiliar mannerisms in his social interactions with his peers. Because of this not yet discovered social disparity, unknown to him as a young boy, this made him vulnerable to the callousness of some peers. Such callous encounters with peers began to plant seeds of inner strength, fortitude, resilience, a quick wit and kindness within himself. He would use these evolving qualities with so many people he met throughout his lifetime who might be struggling with challenges in their own lives. And there were many.

Geoff was blessed to move to Denver, Colorado in 1975 as a young adult when his father was transferred with his business to work out west. Arriving in Denver, Geoff felt like

"he found his home". Geoff's world opened up to the vast midwestern landscape that stretched for miles until reaching the snow-capped peaks of the Rocky Mountains in the distance. The people he met out west resembled this same vast open-mindedness & welcoming nature to this land of opportunity. Geoff thrived in it. He graduated from Barnes Business College in Denver within 2 years. He enjoyed his work in Market Research where he used his strong verbal skills & quick wit via his telephone interchanges with companies across the country. He felt truly blessed when a woman & her soon to become husband welcomed Geoff into their life. Their friendship was built on respect, unconditional acceptance, & human need. Because this young couple had 3 sons in quick order; they both worked full-time jobs & did not have their immediate families close by, they "adopted" Geoff as an extended family member. Geoff soon became a "Mr. French" to their boys; keeping them safe while one of the parents might need a break; helped the family maintain an orderly home; ran those extra errands; drove them when one of their cars was out of service; Most importantly Geoff developed a trustworthy, fun, & loving relationship with these 3 boys who today have grown into responsible young men & good citizens. He eventually came to be called "Uncle Geoff"- no other tribute could hold more meaning for Geoff throughout his life.

Geoff relocated to New Hampshire where he helped his siblings care for their aging parents. During this part of his pilgrimage, his 2 sisters-Peg; a Clinical Social Worker; & Anne; a Special Educational Consultant; had perhaps discovered the missing piece of the puzzle that Geoff & his siblings had kept searching for throughout most of their lives to explain their brother, Geoff's not so ordinary life. The missing piece of the puzzle is commonly known today as Aspergers-a condition that falls under the realm of autism. Geoff was born with Aspergers. Aspergers gave him the gift of high intelligence, superior verbal skills, & a very focused interest & thirst for knowledge about U.S. & World History. As a result of this new self- knowledge, our brother Geoff was finally able to understand why his life was not an ordinary one.

During the last years of Geoff's pilgrimage, he welcomed Caregivers to work with him to help maintain an independent lifestyle as his sight was beginning to diminish. One of his most gratifying weekly outings occurred when a befriended Caregiver would take Geoff to Wendys for a TRIPLESIZED BACONATOR BURGER & CHOCOLATE FROSTY. Forget fine dining!

He was blessed to live in the exceptionally compassionate Hillsborough County Nursing Home in Goffstown, NH. the last year & 1/2 of his pilgrimage. The nurses & aides enjoyed Geoff's sweet nature, quick wit, & his many stories. As fate would have it, Geoff's last roommate had been a college Professor & expert on the history of the Civil War. Nothing further need be said about the common bond they both shared & became best buddies watching out for each other throughout the months of the historic pandemic.

Geoffrey Welch's pilgrimage on this earth came to completion on Sunday June 28, 2020 in Comfort Care at Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, NH. of heart failure.

His siblings summarize his life as not an ordinary one. But an extraordinary one- because it was a true pilgrimage Geoff chose to take in his lifetime search of moral & spiritual significance amidst the human struggle & achievement of resilience. We will forever cherish & honor our dear brother Geoff's strength & fortitude; his wealth of knowledge; & forever be humbled by his steadfast mastering of courage & resilience.

Geoff would want grandparents & parents to share with their grandchildren & children

their own personal life stories; the impact that historical events have had on their own family's lives; & read to them about the beginning founding of our country including both the good & bad realities-and to impress upon them that whatever our country may be enduring it still is a free country that gives each of us the free choice to create our lives into meaningful ones.

Geoffrey is survived by his fraternal twin brother, Gregory Stephen Welch of Weymouth, MA & Greg's significant other, Madeline Flood of Halifax, MA; his sister, Anne Wilkinson & husband, Kirk Wilkinson, of Concord, NH; his sister, Peg Miller, & husband, Cledith A. Miller; Jr. of Merrimack, NH; his niece, Jill Collins & husband, Jimmy Collins & his great nephews, James & Danny Collins of Watertown, MA & many relatives & friends.

Due to current public health and safety concerns, funeral services for Geoff will be limited to immediate family members and held privately.

To leave an online condolence for the family, please visit rivetfuneralhome.com