In memoriam: Bob Welsh
Robert L. “Bob” Welsh died December 1, 2023, at home in Iowa City, Iowa. He was 97. He served First Christian Church in Iowa City from 1965 until his retirement in 1992. He was lauded for his public service at local, county, and state levels.
Born October 5, 1926, the son of Rev. James H. Welsh and Pauline (Gumerson) Welsh, he grew up in Indiana and Wisconsin. He attended Philips University and received his AB from Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin. He entered the Disciples Divinity House in 1948; much later he would serve on the Alumni Council class of 2006.
His ministerial career began in Oklahoma City. He served churches in Indianapolis, Houston, and Des Moines before he and his family moved to Iowa City. He was a committed ecumenist and chaired the local council of churches, ministerial association, and ecumenical consultation. He chaired Iowa City’s first housing commission, which planned for Section 8 housing and resulted in building Ecumenical Towers in downtown Iowa City that serves older adults.
Bob was a life-long advocate of providing support to help all people within the community thrive. Locally, he was the founder of the Volunteer Service Bureau, Common Fund, and Ecumenical Housing Corporation. He was chaplain for the fire department and a strong advocate for persons with disabilities. For over twenty years, he was a leader of the Johnson County Nutrition Program that delivered meals to seniors. He chaired the Johnson County Task Force on Aging, and worked with the Heritage Area Agency on Aging. He served on a state work group on welfare reform and the Governor’s Childcare and Early Education Task Force, and on the White House Conference on Aging.
He received many recognitions, including the Senior of Distinction in Iowa in 2001; awards for outstanding volunteer service, advocacy, community service, contributions to human rights with the City of Iowa City Human Rights Commission; and the Betty Grandquist Lifetime Achievement Award in Service to Older Iowans. The Iowa City Senior Center dedicated the “Bob Welsh Community Room” in 2016. In 2019, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors celebrated the “Bob Welsh Appreciation Day” for his decades of service to and his dedication and love for the Johnson County community. He was also a huge supporter of University of Iowa athletics and the arts, with a very special affinity for Iowa women’s basketball.
Bob is survived by his wife Eunice; they celebrated their thirty-first anniversary in March 2023. He is also survived by his oldest son, Mark (Nancy), granddaughter Sarah Welsh Nelson, step-children Becky Scherschell and Warren Hanlin (Bonnie), two step-grandchildren, five great grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild. A celebration of his life was held January 6, 2024, at First Christian Church, Coralville, Iowa. For the published obituary.