A Funeral mass will be offered Monday, November 17 at 10 a..m at St. Agnes Church in Atlantic Highlands for Thomas Alfred Welch, Jr., who died suddenly Friday, November 7, surrounded by his family, friends and prayer. He was 34 years of age.
Everybody knew Tom Welch, whether it was from Henry Hudson Regional school where he graduated, several different councils of the Knights of Columbus, the Bishop McFaul Assembly of the Knights of Columbus, the Atlantic Highlands Elementary school, Meridian Academy in Colts Neck, the High Road School in East Brunswick, or the Alpha School in Lakewood. He was also known at Brookdale College where he earned a Home Health Aid Certificate and had been a member of Boy Scout Troop 454 in Freehold where he was a member of the Order of the Arrow and an Eagle Scout.
He was also an integral part of forming Boy Scout Troop 926 at St. Martha’s Church in Ocean Township and a member of Middletown‘s Toop 47 when his original Eagle Advisor Ed Semple was its scoutmaster. Tommy also served as Assistant Scout Master of Navesink Troop 22 and was also an Eagle Advisor who coached ten boys to become Eagle Scouts. He also taught 10 merit badges, many which were Eagle required, and was the OA Troop Advisor.
Perhaps you only knew Tommy from his smile, his willingness to be a part of every worthwhile activity for his school, his troop, his Knights or his church. Or maybe you shared his passion for softball or any sport, or perhaps knew when he was in the Bowling Special Olympics. Perhaps you captured his smile and warmth at one of those New Jersey Devils games which he attended for eight years. Or shared stories with him about his beloved Yankees or Giants.
Whenever Tommy was involved, he was deeply involved and gave his all. That was evidenced in Boy Scouting, with attaining the rank of Eagle and encouraging others to achieve that as well, It was evidenced again in the Knights of Columbus.
Like his father, Tom, Tommy was a Knight, first in the Vincent T Lombardi Council # 6552 in Middletown, while also a 4th Degree Knight in the Bishop McFaul Assembly. As a third degree Knight, he was also in Long Branch Council # 335 and most recently the Rev. Joseph J Donnelly Council # 11660 in Highlands. In both the Councils and the Assembly, he worked his way through the ranks, becoming a warden and on various committees in the third degree councils, then a Pilot, Captain, and finally the Faithful Navigator of the Bishop McFaul Assembly #646.
Where ever you met Tommy, or for whatever else you shared with him, you knew right away that Tommy was special. Not special as with special needs, but special as with a love for all, an avid interest in everyone else, and a lifelong desire to simply help wherever he could.
His love of neighbor, family and friend was only exceeded by his love of God. That was was obvious in the faith, his perpetual desire to be where he could to bring someone else to a better life, and to teach them, as he himself practiced, an acceptance of whatever problems they faced and could not solve.
The family in particular remembered when Tommy stepped in to mentor his young cousins LJ and Kaden McKeon when their dad, his cousin Larry, passed away. It was Tommy who showed the boys how scouting, sports, school and a deeper love of God will help them accept their loss. He was also Godfather to Charles Andres Faler, another cousin.
The serious side of Tommy showed when he was working hard, when he was consumed with whatever energy was needed to complete a task, when he was helping someone with their own problem big or small. But his smile … make that his laughter … was contagious … and you couldn’t help but feel a little better and happier for having shared a Knights breakfast with Tommy, or a friendly conversation or joke.
Less than 48 hours after his death, with Tommy scheduled to be a guest speaker at the Veterans Appreciation Mass and Breakfast at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, both his parents put aside their own shock and grief and attended the program honoring veterans and Knights. “It’s what Tommy would have expected,” his mother Louise said softly, adding “of course we would be here for this important appreciation breakfast.”
In addition to his parents, Tom and Louise, Tommy is survived a sister, Michele Ann Ambrosio Mullins and brother-in-law, Curtis Mullins, his paternal Aunt Ann Welch Dimaira, cousins, Angelo Melillo, Jr., Peter Dimaira, Jennifer Dimaira, Charles Faler, Kathleen McKeon, and Dan DeLisi. He was predeceased by his maternal grandparents, Mary and Jacob Siwiec, Anna and Anthony Ambrosio, his paternal grandparents, Bernard and Clair Welch, maternal Aunt Irene Siwiec Melillo and Uncle Angelo Melillo, paternal Uncle Frank Dimaira, and cousin Lawrence McKeon Jr.
Friends and relatives can pay their respects Saturday, November 15 from 7 to 9 pm and Sunday, November 16 from 2 to4 and 7 to 9 pm at John F. Pfleger Funeral Home 115 Tindall Rd., Middletown.
Following the mass, on Monday, internment will be at St. James Cemetery in Woodbridge.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to:
Boy Scout Troop 22, PO Box 341, Navesink, NJ 07752,
The Rev. Joseph J Donnelly Knights of Columbus # 11660, OLPH-St. Agnes Parish, 103 Center Ave, Atlantic Highlands, NJ 07716,
Monmouth County SPCA, 260 Wall St, Eatontown, NJ 07724 or
Barn for the Poorest of the Poor, 49 Kanes Ln, Middletown, NJ 07748
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