Joseph Patrick Welch

Joseph Patrick Welch Joseph Patrick Welch, age 83, of Syracuse, left this physical world on February 13, 2014. His time on this earth changed lives, near and far. Joe was born in Tully in the autumn of 1930 and spent his first 12 years growing up under his father’s Irish influence on the south side of Syracuse. There he met his dear friends of the Marble and Milligan families. After Joe’s dad died, and some ill-fitting foster care placements, a judge allowed him to go to live with his godmother, the beloved Mrs. Murphy until one day, she passed in her sleep. He went to the Milligan’s and said “Mrs. Milligan, I don’t know what to do.” Madeline Milligan took him home, tended to Mrs. Murphy and they took him back to the Milligan house, headed by her dear husband, Harold, and never looked back. He no longer was alone, for he had two loving parents with sisters and brothers whom loved him dearly. At 15, the Milligan’s legally adopted Joe, and he officially gained his by-the-heart siblings; Jimmy and Bobby as his brothers and Mary (Collins) and Carol (Dann) as his sisters. The kindness and love he was given as that young boy shaped who he became: a profoundly generous and innately kind, smiling soul always willing to give and to love, no matter what. He spent his life taking care of others and ensuring that those around him were loved and nourished in all ways. Joe began his employable years working behind the soda fountain at Hurwitz Drug Store. He told the story of a life lesson he learned when he began to speak snidely about a young girl with development delays to an older kid at the counter. The older kid, the young girl’s big brother, clocked Joe. From that day forward, Joe never had a bad word to say about a person. The way he ended the story was to say, “When you say something ill, you never know who is nearby that could be to be hurt by your words.” Joe served in the state National Guard and US Marine Corps. Upon returning home from serving, he was employed as a traveling salesman. As Joe got older, married and had his first of 8 children, he sought work that would allow him to provide for his family and be close to home. He secured a job as a bus driver for the Syracuse Transit Corp., now known as CENTRO. Joe drove bus for CENTRO until he was elected Business Agent for the Amalgamated Transit Union. Joe was a bus driver, dispatcher and dedicated Union member. In 1973, he was elected President of the ATU, Local 580, and then in 1974, was elected Business Agent of that same Local. By that time, the last of his eight children had been born. Joe served as Vice-Chairman of the ATU-NYS Legislative Conference Board beginning in 1978 while retaining his role at L.U. 580. In 1978, he was elected as the Executive Secretary of the Greater Syracuse Labor Council. In 1990, Joe was elected Vice President of the Executive Council of the NYS AFL-CIO under the able leadership of Dennis Hughes as President. In 1986, Joe reached the pinnacle of his career, where he stayed and flourished for 24 years, when he was elected as an International Vice President for the ATU. He proudly served in this position, subsequently re-elected every 3 years, until he decided to finally retire in 2010 at the young age of 80. During this time, he had the honor and privilege of working with his son, Rob, in a professional capacity. During Joe’s years of service, he was instrumental in developing and getting NYS Article 19-A NY Vehicle and Traffic Law Special Requirements for Bus Drivers passed in NYS. Joe also served a pivotal role in the creation of true and fair standards for the federal Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). Joe’s loss from the transit industry’s brothers and sisters will be felt in long-lasting ripples across the United States, Canada and beyond to Romania. Joe Welch, and like-minded men and women, fought hard, in solidarity, to secure rights for all workers - not just union members. The safety, dignity, and fair treatment enjoyed at jobs today is the direct result of men like Joe Welch. Joe Welch had the backbone to stand up for what\'s right. Joe worked with relentless passion in the labor movement\'s fight for fairness and rights of many, always with a gleam in his eye and smile in his heart. Joseph Welch was the embodiment of Matthew 25:40 (NKJV) “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ Joe’s pride in the work he accomplished to help other workers paled in comparison to the love and pride he had in his heart for his family. Joe loved his family more than anything in the entire world. He was always there when needed and always just a phone call away. He was his family’s Superman, a true American Hero that Heaven needed there. The Milligan family tree which Joe was firmly rooted in, provided him with a canopy of love, comfort and companionship made up of innumerable cousins, nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews and many great-great nieces and nephews. He was proud to be God-Father to Patty Ann Dann Redhead and took that role very seriously for the last 53 years. He adored his Arizona family Mary Beth, Ron and their girls, Taylor, Emily and Annie. He is also survived by his sister-of-the-heart, Susan (Robert) Longo and the DBM- Chrissy, Nikki (Pat), Elizabeth (Josh), Sheila (Jason), Cyndi and cupicake Amelia. Joe had two older biological sisters, Mary and Margaret (Peggy). He is survived by his children Dana (Mary Ellen), Bobbie (Jim) Featherstone, Michael (Cindy), Rob (Donna Jean), Stephen (Lisa Solomon), Joe A., Lani (Steve Diederich) and Kathleen (Daniel) Gardiner. Joe loved and enjoyed sharing in the lives and accomplishments of his grandchildren, Paul Richard Abend, Alexanndria, Brianna, Dylan and Cailey Welch, Mikey and Matt Welch, Aaron, Sean and Maya Mydlenski and most recently, Grace Ann and Patrick Gardiner. And though they did not get to know him, Randy, Sarah, Kathryn and Benjamin all held a place in Joe’s grandpa heart. He also held 8 great-grandchildren in his grandpa’s heart, Emmett, Brigg and Dalton Welch, Cameron and Michelle Cerio, Ella Welch and Aiden and Nate Mott. The loss of Joseph Patrick from this world is felt most greatly by his “Snow White” of 50 years, his wife, Karin Kremin Welch. Together, they were a dynamic duo. Together, they changed lives. Where there was one, there were two, side by side, heart to heart. She was his life, he was hers, always and in ALL ways. Calling hours for Joe will be Friday, February 21 at Ballweg & Lunsford Funeral Home, 2584 Field Lane, LaFayette (at Rte 20, Cardiff) from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Funeral Services will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, February 22, at United Christian Church of Marietta. Interment will be at Onondaga Valley Cemetery immediately following. A gathering of those who loved Joe will follow at United Christian Church of Marietta. The family invites friends and family to bring shaving cream, razors, combs, toothbrushes, toothpaste or deodorant to support the local vets at the Syracuse VA. Monetary donations may be made to The Joseph P. Welch Scholarship Fund or Clear Path for Veterans “Dogs2Vets” program. Joseph Patrick Flannigan Welch will be missed so much and so often by so very many. He leaves a legacy of generosity, kindness and humor. He was not perfect, but he always strived to be the best he knew how to be. He loved EVERYONE dearly. The world would be a much better place if more people aspired to be like Joe Welch. Give it a try. Well done, good and faithful servant, well done.

Joseph Patrick Welch

October 6, 1930 - February 13, 2014