Caribou and Farmington – After battling heart issues for over 10 years, Patrick passed on February 12, 2025, from complications of heart and kidney transplants brought on by giant cell myocarditis. Pat was born in Presque Isle, ME, to John and Cathie (Glackin) Welch, and was the favorite brother of his two sisters.
His first job was delivering papers; he was quite popular and was fed by several mothers on his route before school every day. He had other hobbies such as borrowing his mother’s car without her knowing, pushing his sisters off roofs into the snow, and with his friends, eating all of their parents out of house and home. Patrick attended Caribou High School, graduating in 1988. Growing up he focused his time playing basketball, baseball, skiing, golfing, and refereeing little league. The one class he did focus on was home economics, which he took for all 3 years. Pat was the only boy in the class and was spoiled with cookies and brownies.
Patrick then attended Maine Maritime Academy, where his parents learned he could get straight A’s without the distraction of girls in his classes. He graduated from MMA and the regiment in 1992 with a B.S. in marine engineering, Patrick was the Regimental Executive Officer and sailed on the TS State of Maine. Throughout his schooling and career, he traveled throughout the world to many places including the Soviet Union, Egypt, and Europe. After his career in maritime shipping, he transitioned to managing power plants in Fort Fairfield and Rumford, and then working for GE Power, GE Power Digital, and GE Vernova, receiving numerous awards for excellence. Pat earned his MBA in international business management at Northeastern University in 2009.
In 1992, Patrick met the love of his life, Merrily (Prest), whom he courted through the exchange of letters and cassette recordings while serving on various ships for 3 months at a time, and they married on February 10, 1996. Anyone who knew Pat knew Merrily was his soulmate and that he adored his family. He loved coaching his son’s baseball team, traveling to see his children’s sporting and school events, riding his bike next to Merrily as she competed in 5K’s and marathons, taking his family on epic vacation adventures, camping, skiing, and just being together. He kept a list of Merrilyisms he loved to share, a favorite being “the Baltimore Oreos.” Patrick was always the first person willing to help his friends and he collected the very best. His friends were family, with whom he enjoyed annual adventures and cherished traditions.
Patrick is survived by his wife of 29 years, Merrily; children, Tara Welch and husband, Corey Shea, and expected grandchild in March, Liam Welch and fiancée, Leah Hardy; Norwegian daughter, Anngunn Kjøsnes; their goofy Newfie, Mocha Mae; sisters, Mary Kate Barbosa and husband, David, and Brigid Crowe; as well as nieces and nephews, Elizabeth Devall (Cameron), Seán Barbosa (Sarah), Tiernan Barbosa, and Oisín Crowe; the Caribou Boys; and the MMA Crew.
The Welch family would like to thank Mass General Hospital and their amazing medical teams on Blake 8 Cardiac SICU for the excellent care they have provided recently and over the past 10 years. They would also like to thank their friends who were immediately available for anything.