On the morning of October 26, 2024, Hugh Foster Welch slipped the surly bonds of Earth to join his heavenly father.  Loved by all who knew him, he had been affectionately nicknamed “Chewy.”  Steadfast as a Wookie, Chewy brought levity with him everywhere he went, and his legacy is one of love and laughter.  Everyone who has ever met him has a story about a time that he dropped everything to help them or about a time that he made them laugh or feel seen.  He truly was a giant of a man, and, like his stature, he did nothing small.

Hugh was born on the evening of October 26, 1982, to Albert “Buddy” and Margaret Welch.  They would go on to give him his two closest friends, Chris and John Welch, his brothers. This was generally agreed to be hazardous to all but mostly to his mother’s sanity.  His life would take an unexpected turn when he met a feisty red head at work named Helen VanBorsch.  Ever the intrepid adventurer, Hugh emerged from his introverted shell and pursued the young woman, gradually winning her heart.  On June 28, 2008, they wed in the company of loved ones and began the journey of life together.

Four years later, the duo would be blessed by the appearance of a beautiful baby boy, Joshua.  Together, they spent the last 12 years navigating the traps and trials of raising an aspiring athlete and young man.  Every evening would find Hugh in the back yard throwing a football, playing basketball, or more likely, playing soccer with the young Joshua.  Many deep conversation were had and cautionary tales of “the dreaded chicken” entertained and educated alike.

Hugh graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and began his career in the Veterans Administration as a pharmacy tech.  Wishing to do more to help the veterans, his path led him to pursue a position with Dorn Hospital’s data analytics team in a role that allowed him to directly impact on the quality of care to the patients.  He last worked on a data team that I wish I could explain because he tried to explain it to me so many times, but it still doesn’t make sense. He was far smarter than anyone else I’ve ever met, and I hope he will forgive me for not understanding what he did or how he did it. What’s important is that he loved the vets that he served and was actively trying to make sure that they got the best care that they could.

Hugh is survived by his loving wife Helen, son Joshua, parents Buddy and Margaret, Chris and Brianne Welch, John and Stephanie Henrichs Welch.  His extended family is too numerous to mention but they will all miss his dolphin rides, Magic the Gathering games, royal subjugation, awful dad jokes, and most of all, his amazing hugs. 

Services will be held at Christian Life Assembly at 2700 Bush River Rd., Columbia, SC 29210, at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 2nd. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that a donation be made to the Congaree Rapid FC Scholarship program.  Checks may be sent to PO Box 2135, West Columbia, SC 29171.