Mary I. Sullivan Welsh

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Mary I. Sullivan Welsh

July 24, 1938 ~ February 16, 2023

Our beloved mother, Mary Imelda (Sullivan) Welsh died on February 16, 2023, in Salt Lake City. Mary was born July 24, 1938, to the late Harold Cornelius Sullivan and Maude Marie (Rivard) Sullivan in Lowell, Massachusetts. She graduated from Notre Dame Academy in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts and from Lowell Community College with an Associate of Arts degree. In 1958, she married her one true love, John Francis Welsh, who at the time was stationed with the U.S. Army at Fort Devens. After the birth of their first of their 11 children, they moved back to his hometown of Salt Lake City, where they primarily lived for the better part of 64 years.  

John and Mary were early parishioners of St. Ambrose Parish. Mary was a founding member and a lifelong supporter of the Hibernian Society of Utah and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Salt Lake City. Mary later worked in the Judge Memorial Catholic High School development office and eventually served as the registrar until her retirement. In retirement she volunteered at J.E. Cosgriff Catholic School.  She was devoted to her family.

Mary is survived by her brother, Jack (Caryl) Sullivan of Nashua, New Hampshire; 10 children: Karen (Scott) Gygi of Pleasant Grove; Jayne (Kelly) Surbeck of Salinas, California; TJ (Susan) Welsh of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida; Mary Kate (John) Tikotsky of Los Angeles, California; Jennifer (Bruce) Pittenger of Salinas, California; Thomas (Kristal) Welsh of Salt Lake City; Meghan (Jaret) Gibson of Salt Lake City; John (Cheryl) Welsh of Allenstown, New Hampshire; Joe Welsh of Salt Lake City; and Patrick (Marie) Welsh of Salt Lake City; 18 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. She is also survived by four nephews and two nieces (Lytle family), and cousins Donna (Eddie) St Gelais of Hudson, New Hampshire and Paula (Bernie) Lach of Dracut, Massachusetts in addition to her many cousins in the Rivard clan of Lowell, Massachusetts.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, John F. Welsh; her parents, sister-in-law and brother-in-law (Helen Frances Welsh Lytle and William Hamilton Lytle), her sister-in-law (Mary Barbara Welsh), and an infant son (John Francis Welsh).

A Mass and celebration of her life will be held later; she will be buried in the family plot at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Salt Lake City. In lieu of flowers, Mary requested that donations be made to Judge Memorial Catholic High School, https://www.judgememorial.org/ways-to-give.