Cynthia (Cindy) Gail Welch passed away on 17 July 2021 in Prescott, Arizona. Cindy is remembered as a beloved wife, mother, and treasured friend. She and her loving husband, Alan (Bob) Robert Welch celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary on June 6th. Cindy was born on 11 May 1948 in Glendale, CA, to Wendell Ruben and Dolores Elaine (Furaas) Olson, who were both born in Minnesota and eventually married in Burbank, CA, on 8 May 1943.

Cindy graduated from St. Paul Central High School in 1966. In 1967, Cindy and her parents moved from St. Paul, Minnesota, to Tempe, where she worked part time at Arizona State University (ASU) and completed her bachelor's degree in 1970. Cindy’s boss at ASU was Bob's mom, Pat, who often spoke about and showed photos of her Army son to Cindy, hoping to create a "love" interest.

In the summer of 1969 they finally relented to a blind date. Bob and Cindy were engaged within a few months, and married on 6 June 1970 at the Tempe United Methodist Church. Bob deployed to Vietnam shortly after their wedding. Immediately following his tour in Vietnam, Bob was assigned to Bangkok, Thailand for two years, where Cindy was able to join him.  They thoroughly enjoyed the country and the culture, which ignited their life long love of traveling.

Army life provided many moves stateside plus the opportunity for Cindy to earn her master’s and pursue various employment opportunities. Cindy finished her master’s degree from Kansas State University in 1977. She also found great happiness and pride in raising two sons: Christopher, born in 1975, who is a Colonel in the U.S. Air Force, married with three sons. Michael, born in 1980, works as a senior diplomat in the U.S. Department of State, and is married with one daughter.

After Bob retired from 26 years with the Army, he and Cindy decided to continue work with the US Government overseas at American Embassies and Consulates, serving in: Nairobi, Kenya; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Dublin, Ireland. When Cindy finally retired in 2008, they moved to Prescott to be near Bob!s mother.

Cindy remained very active in retirement, supporting numerous philanthropic, educational and social organizations. She was involved with Prescott Art Docents and P.E.O.. She enjoyed walking her beloved poodle Sasha, swimming, and kayaking.

Cindy is survived by her husband, Bob; her two sons : Christopher (Melissa) Welch and Michael (Elizabeth) Welch; 4 grandchildren: Jackson, Oliver, George and Anna Welch.

Cindy's celebration of life will be held at 2 PM on Sunday, 25 July 2021. It will be held at the Prescott United Methodist Church on 505 W Gurley St, Prescott, AZ.