John Richard Welch

John Richard Welch (“Jack”), age 90, of Harwich Port, beloved husband of Kathleen Hamilton Welch, died Sunday, October 30, 2022, at Cape Cod Hospital. Born in Boston to Helen and Richard Welch, Jack was raised in Woburn. He attended Boston College High School, commuting each day from Woburn to the South End, and went on to graduate as a proud member of the Holy Cross College class of 1953. Following graduation, Jack enlisted in the United States Army, where he served for a time in Panama during the Korean War and was honorably discharged in 1955.

Jack went on to graduate from Northeastern with an MBA and to have a long and successful career in the apparel sourcing and manufacturing industry. He worked for many years at Garland Knitting Mills in Brockton, where he made lifelong friends in the industry, and eventually moved to Pennsylvania to oversee the operations of Warnaco Inc.’s manufacturing facility. He spent the last 20 years of his career working at Mast Industries, primarily as President of Mast Industries Far East Ltd. in Hong Kong, where he oversaw the sourcing of apparel/textile product throughout Asia. Jack and Kathleen enjoyed their years in Hong Kong, traveling extensively and making friends from around the globe. In retirement, Jack remained active as a long-time Board member of Carter’s, Inc. in Atlanta, GA.

Cape Cod was Jack’s favorite place and nothing made him happier than to sit on his sunny back deck, reading the newspaper or hanging out with Kathleen, friends and family. He was a true Boston native, cheering on the Red Sox every year whether or not they were in the race. On his last day he watched the Patriots beat the Jets. But more than anything, Jack was a die-hard Holy Cross Crusader football fan. As a season ticket holder for more than 50 years, Jack never gave up on the team despite their ups and downs over the years. He passed away knowing that his beloved team, marching towards an undefeated season, had clinched the Patriot League title with a big win on Saturday.

Jack’s first wife, Elsie McCloskey Welch, with whom he raised four children, predeceased him in 1983. His only sibling, Eunice Connors, his older, much-loved sister, predeceased him in 2020.

In addition to Kathleen, his loving wife of 38 years, Jack is survived by his four adoring children: Jack and his wife Lisa Breen of Boston; Sally Miller and her husband Jim of Wellesley; Mary Tschirch and her husband Paul of Medfield; and James and his wife Debbie of Westport, CT. Jack was the proud grandfather of Lexi and Ryan Welch; Mary, JP and Nate Miller; Megan, Caroline, Haley and Lauren Tschirch; and Nicole and Luke Welch. He also leaves 2 stepchildren: Susan Murray and her husband Joe of Little Silver, NJ, and their children Kathleen, Meghan and Patrick; and Matthew Deehan and his wife Karla, of Wilson, WY, and their son Chase.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend visiting hours on Monday, November 7, 2022, from 9-10:30 a.m. at Doane, Beal & Ames Funeral Home, 260 Main Street, West Harwich. A funeral mass will follow at 11 a.m. at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 246 Main Street, West Harwich. In lieu of flowers, donations in Jack’s memory may be made to College of the Holy Cross, Worcester MA, attn: HCF; or The Family Pantry of Cape Cod, Harwich, MA.