Michael E. Welsh, age 68, of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, and formerly of Monroe, New York, peacefully passed away surrounded by his family on January 11. He was born in the Bronx, New York, on February 8, 1955, and was the son of Patrick W. Welsh Jr. and Marjorie A. Welsh. Mike battled pancreatic cancer with tenacity and grit. He is survived by his loving wife Lynda; his three sons Michael (Sumner), Matthew, and Andrew (Darcy); and his grandchildren Violet, Jack, Ben, Sloan, and Drew. He is further survived by his siblings Stephen (Claire), Patrick (Wendy), Eileen Scanlon, John (Stephanie) and Thomas, along with his stepmother Rosemary and many nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends. Mike was preceded in death by his parents and his nephew Patrick IV.
Mike graduated from Burke Catholic High School and Marist College. During his school years, Mike proved to be a great athlete and excelled at many sports, with basketball being his true passion. After graduating, Mike began his career with Miller Brewing Company, where he held various roles throughout the country and made many lifelong friendships along the way. After he retired from his career in the beer industry, he continued to work alongside his friends in the Indy car business for RLL Racing, as well as taking on various consulting projects.
Mike was a longtime member of the Oconomowoc Golf Club and held several positions on the Board of Directors, including serving multiple terms as president. It would be impossible to calculate the number of friends, good times, and laughter he created at OGC. Above all else, a round of golf played with his three sons gave him the most joy, as did watching his grandkids follow in their footsteps at OGC. In his own words, those were the moments that made him “the happiest guy on Earth.”
A visitation for Mike will be held on Saturday, February 3, 2024, from 1 p.m. until a funeral service at 4 p.m. A celebration will take place following the service until 6:30 p.m., all to be held at Pagenkopf Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the Medical College of Wisconsin in honor of Dr. Evans for pancreatic cancer research would be greatly appreciated by the family (mcwsupport.mcw.edu/pancreaticcancer).
A heartfelt thank you to Dr. Siegel and Deanna Fiske, PA-C and their staff at the Vince Lombardi Cancer Center for their kindness, care and compassion.
“One more final final, then I really gotta go.” - Mike