James Fletcher Welch

Dr. James “Jamie” Fletcher Welch passed away unexpectedly of natural causes on Monday, October 10, 2016. A lover of sports, dogs, books, and movies, Jamie lived a dual life of sweat and sweets: he proudly balanced an athletic existence with a notorious “sweet tooth” that included a fondness for pies, rice pudding, and chocolate licorice. Jamie was also a connoisseur of books and pop culture, equally comfortable discussing Kafka and the Kardashians. As anyone who knew Jamie can attest, his bellowing laughter was contagious and his thirst for knowledge was unquenchable.

Jamie was born to James Deake Welch and Jeanette Cheney on February 22, 1949, in Puerto Rico. He spent the majority of his childhood in La Habra, California, attending La Habra High School, where he competed on the school’s swimming and water polo teams; in fact, before graduating in 1967, he was presented with the school’s “Most Dedicated Athlete” award. These formative years instilled in Jamie a lifelong love of sports and exercise – a passion that he carried with him in the following decades, when he competed in triathlons, bike races, and swimming contests.

After graduating from LHHS, Jamie studied at California State University, Fullerton, where he majored in History and minored in Biology. Upon earning his BA from CSUF in 1971, Jamie worked as a high school teacher and year-round lifeguard for the California State Park system, before building a decades-long career as a technical writer and project manager for a variety of computer and software companies.

On December 18, 1977, Jamie married Judy Silver in La Habra in the backyard of his parents’ house. The couple was together for more than two decades and their marriage produced a son, Jeff Aaron Welch, who was Jamie’s greatest pride and joy. From the moment Jeff was born in 1982, Jamie loved and treasured his son, taking him on camping trips, teaching him how to swim, and instilling in him a passion for athletics. In recent years, Jamie loved nothing more than watching his son compete in XC Mountain Bike races, and Jeff’s dedication to the sport made Jamie incredibly proud.

After he separated from Judy in 2002, Jamie went through some significant life changes: he went back to school, enrolling in a doctorate program at Pepperdine University (ultimately graduating in 2009), and began teaching college classes at the University of Phoenix, California Lutheran University, and other institutions. Around this time, he began dating Marion Levin – and, after four years of courtship, Jamie married her on June 16, 2007; the two were inseparable, continually inspiring each other to grow, travel, and take on new challenges. Though Jamie’s parents raised him without any religious affiliation, he also developed a longstanding fascination with the Jewish faith and converted to Judaism in his last decade. With Judaism, he found great comfort in the concepts of mitzvah (“good deeds”) and tikkun olam (“repairing the world”), philosophies that guided him in all facets of his life.

Even in his later years, Jamie was constantly in motion, like a top that never stops spinning: he was always gearing up for a new class, project, or vacation that would be even better than the last. He was also a fashion iconoclast, proudly wearing multi-pocketed vests, tucked-in shirts, and even clogs (sometimes to the dismay of his family and friends). His life was full of paradoxes and duality: he was, in many ways, a “big kid” who never outgrew Disneyland or superhero movies or fanny packs – even after he earned his doctorate from Pepperdine University.

Jamie’s legacy reminds us that we should encourage curiosity, engage in conversation, and constantly challenge ourselves to grow and improve. As Jamie exemplified in his 67 years on Earth, we need to enjoy all the sweetness that life offers while simultaneously working towards goals of health, happiness, and holiness.

Jamie was preceded in death by his brother, Bill Welch, and his parents, James Deake Welch and Jeanette Cheney. Jamie is survived by his son, Jeff Welch; his wife, Marion Levin-Welch; his sister, Janine (Joseph) Wheatley; his former wife, Judy Welch; his nieces and nephews, Jason Wheatley, Justine Wheatley, Christian Welch, Lindsay (Jeff) Geida, Victoria (Steve) Hervey, Alex Newman, and David Newman; and his stepchildren, Richelle Feldan, Matthew (Ashley) Levin, and Joel (Kathleen) Levin.

Services will be held at Temple Beth Torah, 7620 Foothill Road, in Ventura, on Thursday, October 13th, at 1:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Temple Beth Torah Social Action Committee (www.templebethtorah.com) or to the Mike P. Nosco Foundation (http://mikenosco.com/donate).

Arrangements are under the direction of the Ted Mayr Funeral Home, 3150 Loma Vista Road, Ventura. Condolences may be sent to TedMayrFuneralHome.com