Obituary of Stephen Michael Welch

Dear Reader, There has been another casualty of the Vietnam War. Stephen M. Welch, local resident who frequently vented frustration and opinions in the "Letters to the Editor" section of the Santa Cruz Sentinel, has passed away. Steve, eldest child of Priscilla (Toshikian) and the late Harold Welch, spent his childhood playing baseball and hanging out at the beach. He graduated Santa Cruz High (1965) and took classes while playing a year of baseball for Cabrillo College. Then duty called. Then duty called. He enlisted in the Army, placed in 173rd Airborne, and served in Viet Nam. He was a heroic soldier who fought many of the deadliest battles in 1967 (Dak To, Hill 875, as well as the first and only combat airborne jump in Viet Nam). Days before returning stateside, Steve stood beside close friend Ray Zaccone when struck by an errant round. The bullet entered Steve's shoulder, plunged into his chest cavity, and ultimately rested in his spine. This ended Steve's professional baseball dream and began his never-ending battle to make sense of his Viet Nam combat experiences. He healed enough to return stateside in late January, 1968. While recuperating on Medical Leave, Steve's parents urged him to go see a movie in town. That fateful night he crossed paths with a dazzling Diane Brown, who was working at the Rio Theatre. A few weeks later he proposed, and they married on February 29, 1968. Stationed at Fort Ord with Diane, they welcomed a daughter, Terri, in March 1969. Steve completed his military career before returning to Santa Cruz civilian life in the summer of '69. In the early 70's Steve began working for the cement plant in Davenport. In 1973, their second daughter, Lori, was born. Then in '74, the Welch family roots were cemented on King Street. Through the years, Steve enjoyed fishing, hunting, and using his Veteran and Senior Discounts. He also enjoyed playing rec softball. However, the terror of war never left him. In 1991, he made career changes that ultimately lead him to work with the City of Santa Cruz. He was with the City until he retired in 2006. Clarity came when he was diagnosed with PTSD and Depression in 1996- emotional injuries to match his physical scars from Viet Nam. Feelings, behavior, and outlook on life began to make sense. Steve spent 6 weeks in Menlo Park at a program offered to Veterans with PTSD. The world became brighter for Steve when he became a "Papa." Lori and her husband, Joe, welcomed twin daughters, Brooke and Jillian, in 2004. His granddaughters instantly became two of his life's precious blessings. Steve enjoyed retirement time taking family vacations. He also enjoyed watching his granddaughters play softball at Harvey West on the same field his father, he, his brother, and both daughters played on -- his life came full circle. He didn't want to miss anything so he brought his camera everywhere to capture the moments as they happened. Life took a turn following his 69th birthday. In November 2016, Steve was diagnosed with Stage 4 neuroendocrine lung cancer. This rare cancer is directly linked to his Agent Orange exposure 50 years ago in Viet Nam. Steve valiantly fought this deadly, non-curable cancer. Following 5 unsuccessful rounds of chemotherapy, radiation, back fusion surgery, and massive amounts of strong medicines for excruciating pain, Steve succumbed to his service-related cancer on May 26, 2017 at the VA Hospital in Palo Alto. Continuing his love and memory: Wife of nearly 50 years, Diane (Brown); daughter Terri, daughter and son-in-law Lori and Joseph (Bettencourt); twin granddaughters Brooke and Jillian; mother, Priscilla (Toshikian); brother and sister-in-law Raymond and Naomi (Zeigler) and their daughters, Christina and Kendall; sister Lydia Feasel; nephew Tony Davis and his children, Tyler and Tosha; sister-in-law Pamela (Brown) Pellegrino and her children, Heidi and Shawn; brother-in-law Steven Brown and his daughters, Stacy and Christy; military brothers Ray Zaccone and Jerry French; and former sister-in-law Deborah (Holloman) Munos; and many family members, friends, teammates, and Sentinel readers. Steve was preceded in death by his father, Harold Welch; childhood friend, Bobby Lamb; and many service men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. A private military graveside service was held at the Santa Cruz Memorial Park Garden of Honor. A Memorial Reception is scheduled for 11am on Sunday, June 11, 2017 at the Elks Lodge in Santa Cruz. In lieu of flowers, please honor Steve's memory by having a catch; a loud, hearty discussion; or write a letter to your elected officials to voice concern about effects of Agent Orange and the lasting impact of military life. #PapaStrong