Heartbroken to lose Mike Welch, we commemorate his fascinating life and commitment to Service.
Mike joined Hermosa Beach Rotary in 2012 after attending a meeting to honor his son Andrew, who was named Student of the Month. He was so very proud of his family and his community. Mike had many talents and served in a variety of capacities to manage the building rentals in addition to holding the position of both secretary and treasurer for several years.
Mike was an active board member for many years with the Vietnam Veterans Association Chapter 53 and in addition was the collaborator for our club with other local Vietnam Veterans who created and maintained the Memorial at the Hermosa Beach Community Center.
A frequent speaker, Mike shared stories about his worldwide travels, including family treks to Australia, moreover his remarkable career with the U.S. Air Force CMSgt (ret) Mike M. Welch, and Boeing, as a “pathfinder loadmaster”. C-17s have played a vital role of delivering military personnel and equipment and often critical support to deliver humanitarian aid, especially in dire situations like the 2012 Haiti earthquake.
In recent years, Mike was well aware of the medical challenges he faced, and throughout he fought valiantly to keep his body and mind strong and continued to travel and support the many vital interests of our club and this community. He is survived by his beautiful and talented wife, Candace, and his brilliant children, Chris, Andrew and Matthew.
A rare bird, we will miss Mike so very much.