Jace Hamilton Welsh

Born in El Paso, Texas, Jace spent his life calling several Texas communities home, including Midland, El Paso, and San Antonio. He graduated from Churchill High School, later attended The University of Texas at San Antonio following his kidney transplant, and studied at San Antonio College from 2009 to 2011. Although illness prevented him from completing his Associate of Arts degree, he never stopped learning. A true Renaissance man, Jace was fluent in more than seven languages, loved to travel, and possessed an endless curiosity about the world. His friends often joked about playing "Six Degrees of Jace" because it seemed everyone in San Antonio knew someone who knew him.

A gifted artist with an uncommon vision, Jace expressed himself through graphic design, painting, ceramics, film, audio engineering, and web design. He built a career that reflected both his entrepreneurial spirit and creative talent, working as an insurance representative with Aflac while also freelancing as a webmaster, graphic designer, and audio engineer before establishing his own graphic arts business. Creativity was never simply a profession for Jace. It was how he connected with people and left his mark on the world.

Jace also found a community online as the creator of the Twitch channel South Texas Fail, where he became a Twitch Affiliate in 2019. Drawing from his unique life experiences, humor, and storytelling, he entertained viewers while building lasting friendships with people from around the world.

When he was not creating art or streaming, Jace poured his energy into his woodworking and creative project space, Cedar and Smoke, as well as other hobbies and passions that reflected his hands-on creativity and love for building things with meaning and character.

Life presented Jace with extraordinary challenges, but he met each one with determination and resilience. After receiving a life-saving kidney donation from his sister, Erin, in 2003, he was told the transplant might last only months. Instead, despite significant complications from the very beginning, that remarkable gift gave him nearly two decades of life. Following a serious automobile accident in 2019, he returned to dialysis but never allowed his medical struggles to define him.

Jace became a passionate advocate for organ donation and transplant awareness, serving as a spokesperson with the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance beginning in 2009. Having twice experienced life on the transplant waiting list, he understood firsthand the priceless gift of donation. Rather than receiving birthday or Christmas presents, he often encouraged friends and family to register as organ donors or support organizations dedicated to organ donation. Helping others receive the same second chance he had been given became one of the defining missions of his life.

Outside of his work and advocacy, Jace embraced life with enthusiasm. He was a devoted Boston Bruins fan, loved heavy metal, ska, and Flogging Molly, and was a lifelong Star Trek fan, even fulfilling a dream by attending the Star Trek 50th Anniversary Cruise with his partner, Wendy, where he formed friendships that lasted long after the voyage ended.

Those who knew Jace knew a man who never met a stranger. He had an easy, uproarious laugh, a quick wit, and a generous heart. His loyalty to his friends was legendary. Whether sharing a funny story, offering a shoulder to lean on, or simply showing up when someone needed him, Jace gave freely of himself. He believed deeply in connection, authenticity, and showing up for the people he cared about.

Among the many stories that followed him through life, perhaps none was more infamous than the time he managed to burst the plumbing system at Churchill High School by dropping five pounds of dry ice into a toilet. It became one of those unforgettable stories that perfectly captured his mischievous sense of humor and the joy he found in making others laugh.

Jace is survived by his loving mother, Martha Welsh; his sister, Erin Welsh; his sister-in-law, Crystal Ramirez-Welsh; his nephew, Killian Welsh; and the many godchildren whose lives he was honored to be a part of. He was preceded in death by his father, Pat Welsh, and his brother, Samuel Welsh.

Although Jace never had children of his own, he built a family through the countless friendships he nurtured over the years. His creativity, humor, compassion, resilience, and unwavering loyalty left an indelible mark on everyone fortunate enough to know him.

Jace's life was a testament to perseverance, kindness, and living fully despite tremendous obstacles. He refused to let illness define him, choosing instead to create, advocate, laugh, and love with remarkable generosity. His legacy lives on in the lives he touched, the art he created, the causes he championed, and the memories shared by all who were fortunate enough to call him a friend.

May his memory be a blessing, and may those who loved him find comfort in remembering the laughter, kindness, and unmistakable spirit that made Jace one of a kind.

A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, July 10, 2026, at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 8134 Blanco Rd., San Antonio, Texas.

Father Luis De La Cruz will officiate. The family asking for either flowers or, in lieu of flowers, donations in Jace's name may be made to the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance or the National Kidney Foundation.