Obituary of James G. Welch

***Please note, service information has been updated***

James Gerard Welch June 15, 1932 - May 14, 2026

Jerry Welch was born in Rochester, New York on June 15, 1932 to James E. Welch and Helen M. Welch. He grew up in the village of Geneseo, New York, where he graduated from Geneseo Central School and worked for his grandmother delivering milk for Welch’s Dairy. Jerry was a proud alumni of St. Lawrence University, where he was a member of the ATO fraternity, and served in the army as a member of the Military Police following the Korean War. Jerry had a long career in business, with an early stint at General Dynamics and ending with his own company, J.G. Welch and Associates, which specialized in representing electronics manufacturers.

Jerry lost his first wife unexpectedly in 1969 when his two children (Kathleen and Brian) were very young. As a traveling salesman, Jerry needed help raising his children and called upon his brother Peter and his wife, Dorothy, to care for Brian, while his parents cared for Kathleen. Five years later he married Joan Hotchkiss Cassidy, and the two of them embraced a blended family of six children, raising them on Fairview Crescent in West Irondequoit for many years.They moved to Penfield in 2000.

A coach and a mentor, Jerry taught generations of kids (both his own and so many more) how to do their best every day, how to compete and win, and how to live an honorable life. Coach Welch served the football teams at Irondequoit, Webster, and McQuaid over the years, but most importantly, he served the kids, teaching them valuable lessons about what it means to be a good human.

And a good human he was. A deeply spiritual person, Jerry was a devout member of Spiritus Christi, a progressive Catholic church dedicated to inclusion, justice, and serving those most in need. He supported many other local charities and, along with his wife Joan, was an advocate for the mentally ill. Known for his quick wit and big heart, Jerry was beloved by his spiritual community, his friends and family, and his many friends at the Village at Penfield.

Jerry is survived by his children Kathleen Welch (Shelley Hearne) of Johns Island, SC; Brian Welch (Kristen Welch) of Zionsville, IN; David Cassidy (Jessica Cassidy) of Rochester, NY; Christine Cassidy (Nan Kinney) of Hudson, NY; Timothy Cassidy of Rochester, NY; sister Mary Ann Lloyd of Johns Island, SC; nephew Timothy Welch (Lynn Welch) of Fairfax, VA; and grandchildren Matthew Welch of Farmers Branch, TX, Elizabeth Welch of Zionsville, IN, Mik Cassidy, Aidan Cassidy, and Connor Cassidy of Rochester, NY. He is preceded in death by his wife of 50 years (Joan Welch), his first wife and mother of his children (Norma Sheehan Welch), his parents, brother Peter, and stepson, Michael Cassidy.

Services to be held on Thursday, July 9 at 11 a.m. at Spiritus Christi, at the Downtown Presbyterian Church, 121 Fitzhugh St. N, Rochester NY 14614. Reception to follow.. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Spiritus Christi ministries. The family would like to thank the staff at the Village at Penfield for their professional and loving care.

Services: TBA