Kenneth H. Welsh

Lt. Commander Kenneth H. Welsh, 74, USN, retired, dropped anchor for the final time on July 5, 2013, in Corpus Christi, Texas. He enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17 working his way up to finish his service as an officer after 31 years of service. He served on the USS Philippine Sea, he was selected to participate in Operation Deep Freeze, wintering over in the Antarctica. He also served the USS New Orleans and the USS Ranger, before retiring in 1986.

Retirement didn’t last long. Kenneth and his wife, Peggy opened the Jenny Craig Weight Loss center in January, 1992. He was the driving force in the success of the Center until, once again, he retired in 2001.

Kenneth will be remembered as a proud and staunch patriot. He was a man of few words. When he spoke people listened and were undoubtedly inspired. His integrity, honesty and courage throughout his life were second to none. Many may not know, but he had an amazing writing ability and could spell any word in the dictionary. He was once asked, “What is the next word in the dictionary?” and he gave the correct answer. He rarely met his match with a crossword puzzle.

Kenneth is preceded in death by his father, Walter Welsh, his mother, Katherine Welsh, and his brother, Jerry Welsh. Kenneth leaves behind what he treasured most in his life, his wife of 54 years, Peggy Pinkston Welsh, his daughters Peggy (Byron) Gorrell and DeeDee Welsh, three grandchildren, Kenneth, Cassie, and Jessica and his older brother Walter Welsh.

Visitation will be on Tuesday, July 9, 2013 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Family will be receiving friends from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. A Funeral Service will be held on Wednesday, July 10, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. at Memory Gardens Chapel. Interment will follow at Memory Gardens Cemetery