Peggy L. Welsh

Peggy L. Welsh, 83, of Corpus Christi, Texas passed away on January 9, 2025. She was born in Bonham, Texas on October 15, 1941 to parents Arthur “Hoggie” Pinkston and Namoi Pinkston. Peggy married Kenneth H. Welsh on January 10, 1959. They had two daughters, Peggy Welsh Gorrell of Castle Rock, Colorado and DeeDee Welsh of Corpus Christi, Texas.

Peggy met Kenneth, a young Navy sailor, while he was on leave with a buddy in Bonham, Texas. They met where mom worked as a soda jerk at a soda fountain. Before Kenneth left to return to his ship, he told Peggy he was going to marry her. She thought he was crazy. They were married about a year later. The military moved them around from place to place as Peggy raised their girls. Eventually, after the girls were teenagers, Kenneth was stationed to Yokohama, Japan. To fill her days while the girls were at school she got a job at the Estee Lauder cosmetic counter at the Navy Exchange department store. It was here that she discovered her amazing skills and innate ability as a salesperson. Soon she was promoted to run the Estee Lauder counter and then was promoted to the position as the Far East director for Estee Lauder which encompassed all the service branches at each of their Exchanges to include opening a cosmetic counter in a store at the American Embassy in Tokyo! She was flown to New York where she was trained for her new position. She had the privilege and honor of meeting Ms. Estee Lauder herself! This was a very proud adventure in Peggy’s life.

After leaving Japan and moving a couple of more times Kenneth was stationed to Hawaii. She went to work for Nutri-System Weight Loss center in Honolulu as a salesperson. Her talent was quickly recognized and before long she was running the center. A few years later after leaving Hawaii and moving to San Diego, she continued working with Nurti-system. A few years later Kenneth retired from the Navy. During Kenneth’s career they were stationed here in Corpus Christi and this is where they decided they would spend their retirement years. After settling in Peggy was hired into sales at the local Nutri-System Weight Loss Center where she quickly moved her way up to running the center. Disenchanted with working for someone else she began to form a plan of going into business for herself. After convincing Kenneth that she had a great plan, they purchased Jenny Craig weight loss Center. They worked hard and had a lot of fun for almost 10 years when it was finally time to retire. After some much needed rest Peggy began volunteering at Christus-Spohn south hospital helping at the front desk and at the hospital’s gift shop. She completed 20 years as a volunteer in February of 2024.

Peggy was a “country bumpkin” with a humble beginning as a child and teenager but when Kenneth showed her the world she jumped in with both feet and didn’t stop shining or smiling for the rest of her life.

Peggy is preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Larry Pinkston, Arthur Pinkston; and sister, Dorothy Saxton.

Peggy is survived by her brother, Jackie Pinkston (LaVonne) of Gore, Oklahoma; daughters, Peggy Gorrell (Byron) of Castle Rock, Colorado, and DeeDee Welsh of Corpus Christi, Texas; grandchildren, Kenneth Gorrell (Megan) of Brandon, Florida, Cassandra Barrett (Charles) of Aurora, Colorado and Jessica Fanella (Jonathan) of New Richmond, Ohio AND her long awaited great-granddaughter Riley Anne Fanella.

A public visitation for Peggy will be held Monday, January 20, 2025 from 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM at Memory Gardens Funeral Home, 8200 Old Brownsville Road, Corpus Christi, Texas 78415. A chapel service will occur Monday, January 20, 2025 at 2:00 PM. An interment will occur Monday, January 20, 2025 at 3:00 PM at Memory Gardens Cemetery.