Kathy Welsh

Kathy Ann Welsh (Cheyne) 73 from Port Orchard Washington passed away on Thursday, January 20, 2022, with her three children by her side. Her six-year battle with Lewy Body Dementia is now over. She is now in God's care with her parents and the love of her life.

She was born in Palo Alto, California to Janet Browne and Benjamin Cheyne. She grew up in the San Francisco Bay area and graduated from Jefferson High School in Daly City, California in 1966. She went on to complete a college business class before she met the man she would marry and spend her life with, Robert Christopher Welsh on March 4, 1967, in Colma, California after he returned from Navy recruit training. They honeymooned in Santa Cruz, lived in California, Washington, Connecticut, and South Carolina before returning to Washington to make a permanent home in 1974 in Port Orchard. They were blessed with two children prior to that and with a third two years later. A son Matthew, a daughter Kristie and a son William. The couple was married for forty-five years before she was widowed in 2012. All who knew her will remember her for being a strong US Navy wife for the first of 22 years. She did it on her own for long stents of time while Robert served his country as a Submariner. This was back in a time when technology did not exist, they only could have a few long-distance phone calls, handwritten letters or a telegraph if there were any urgent messages. She was brave and immensely proud of him. For the next 20 years she spent her days being a homemaker with her three children while he worked at sub-base Bangor.

In between those years she ran her own daycare, did in-home Princess House sales, operated a home cleaning service and worked for Kitsap County Parks department for five Summers. The couple was only able to enjoy three years of retirement before his unexpected passing in 2012. In 2014 she renewed her faith in God by being baptized again. She fiercely loved her five grandchildren, and they were always her favorite topic of conversation. Most of her adult life she found an immense interest in Genealogy. She had compiled volumes of family lineage tracing the family tree long before it was available online.

Kathy enjoyed music, bowling, gardening, canning, baking and crafting of all kinds, especially sewing, needlepoint and scrapbooking. She quite often spent hours creating unique personalized gifts for family and friends and even sold them at the farmers market on occasion. Her affinity for homespun talents didn’t stop there. She was an amazing home cook and baker. This translated into always preparing the best holiday meals or desserts for all occasions. Birthdays and holidays were another specialty and at the forefront of her mind to always celebrate those around her. She turned her love of teddy bear collecting into more than just a hobby and she was hooked on Disney after her very first visit to Disneyland in 1955, the year it opened.

She was kind, giving, thoughtful and a great conversationalist. As mentioned before, she was predeceased by her husband Robert, parents Janet and Benjamin. Kathy is survived by her sister Vonda Caldwell, Spokane, WA, her son Matthew Welsh (Ana), Port Orchard, WA, daughter Kristie Welsh-Walter (Eldon), Olympia, WA, son William Welsh, Jupiter, FL, grandson Nathan Walter, granddaughter Emily Walter, grandson Justin Walter, Olympia, WA, grandson Robby Welsh, Jupiter, FL and granddaughter Danna Welsh, MX, sister and brother-in-law Vickie and Michael Welsh, Rushing, MI, sister-in-law Linda Welsh Colorado Springs, CO, sister-in-law Tracy Welsh Colorado Springs, CO, as well as four nephews and two nieces.

In lieu of flowers, consider a donation to dementia research on her behalf. https://www.lbda.org/donate/

A memorial will be planned and held a date to be determined.