Kenneth D Welch

KENNETH (KEN) D. WELCH was born in Amarillo, Texas on April 29, 1937. The family eventually moved to Mesa, Arizona where he graduated from Mesa High School in 1956. Immediately upon graduation he entered the Air Force and served until 1960, remaining a lifelong, passionate patriot and supporter of veterans and the United States.

His successful career spanned a variety of disciplines; beginning with work as a carpenter in the Phoenix area, serving as director and president of the Coolidge, Arizona, Chamber of Commerce, as well as a stint in spinning country music disks as a well-loved local radio star at KCKY.

His travels and building experience took him to Dixon, California, where he worked as a carpenter and ultimately accepted a residential building inspector position with the Sacramento County Public Works in 1977. While in that jurisdiction, Ken continued growing his expertise serving as supervising structural inspector, commercial structural inspector, eventually becoming the principal building inspector on the commercial side of inspections at the County until his retirement in 1996. Always on the go, Ken then started a new career as a consultant to many firms within the building industry, pioneering services in support to numerous jurisdictions within California, Nevada and beyond.

He was honored as an Honorary Fire Chief by the Sacramento County Fire Chiefs and held countless awards as well as a lifetime membership in the Sacramento Valley Building Officials Association to which he devoted much time, love and energy. Ken mentored and encouraged an incalculable number of people, beginning and strengthening many careers through the years.

Ken and Judy met while working at Sacramento County and married on September 7, 1985, happily bringing together a blended family of nine as well as finding time to build their home in the El Dorado Hills. They traveled the United States extensively, wearing out several RVs thoroughly exploring the sights and finding adventure on all major east and west highways. Fishing, camping, golfing, flying his plane, traveling and visiting friends and family were a major part of life for the Welch family and their home was always open to all. Ken was especially famous for his red tag campouts near the California coast inviting friends to enjoy his ever-flowing igloo of red tag Kool-Aid wine coolers, Dutch oven pozole, and a good game of golf. Ever the country boy, he was famous for his down-to-earth folksy sayings for any occasion.

Ken went home on April 21, 2021 with his family by his side. He was a loving and devoted husband and father; leaving behind his beloved wife, Judy, daughter Debbie Lowe; stepchildren Dale Young, Jeanne Johnston (Jeffery), Debbie Young, Sandy Strobel; grandchildren Jeremiah Lowe, Christopher Barrett (Alli), Jack, Bret, Rachel Strobel, Jason Johnston, great-grandchildren Haley and Shawn Barrett, and many, many friends. He was preceded in death by his father Haskell Welch, stepmom Maxine Welch, brother Ray Welch, son Wade Welch, stepson Chuck Young, and son-in-law Larry Strobel.