Errol Welch

Tony was a great guy, and a great person. He was always very thoughtful and kind. I worked with him many year at National car rental. He will be missed by all that knew him.Barri Olson

To my husband of 50 years,

Tube is being shipped to Tony, little tear drop urn is for Mei/Melo, blue tropical urn is for you, and Ash is making his own keepsake urn. I posted his obituary on Facebook so the rest of the Welch relatives and his colleagues from his job could see it. I posted this; “My dear husband, I will miss you forever but I will always remember all the times you sent me yellow roses. When your favorite song came on “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” by Al Green, you would suddenly grab me in the kitchen and start dancing to it and singing it to me. At Christmas you put on a Santa 🎅🏾 hat and tell the kids you were Santa from the hood! How a song playing in the house would make you do that special dance you would always do. How we would tell you we loved you and you’d always answer “Love you more.” ❤️😢

Tony positively impacted my life! He was a soccer role model. He infected me with a lifelong love of soccer, which involved decades of play and enriching interactions with people from all over the world. (Yes, also injuries, arthroscopies, and a knee replacement – all worth it!) I infected my two sons with the same bug (the first – David Anthony – named after Tony), and they continue to love and play the game. It began ~50 years ago when I was in Ripon High School and started playing soccer with him and the Oshkosh Pepsi Spirits. He had great skill on the field, and he was a voice of reason off the field. He was very competitive on the field, responsible and practical off it. He was a smooth dribbler on the field, a smooth dancer off it. A sampling of lessons from Tony: (1) If there’s a will there’s a way, even if it means mowing or shoveling the soccer field yourself or making field lines by pouring powdered chalk or flour from bags. (2) It’s not the shoes that make the player; cheap shoes from Kmart worked just fine... as did clothes from Goodwill. (3) “I drink when I’m thirsty.” (in reference to people drinking alcohol to drink alcohol) (4) “Black people get sunburned too.” (5) “Don’t tell me how to peel a banana. We grew them!” I think of Tony every time I peel one (always his way). I wish I had found a way to keep in touch through all the busy years, but Tony has always been and will forever be in my heart and life. Condolences to Wanda, “Little Tony”, Nisha (MM), Ashley, and all the extended family and friends.

Dad, I’m going to miss working on cars and watching Star Trek or Man U with you. I’ll miss you every day for the rest of my life. May your transition be a peaceful one. Love, your only daughter ❤️