Joyce Eugenia Welch, age 97, of Benedict died on Thursday, November 10, 2022. Born December 23, 1924 in Long Beach, CA, she was the daughter of the late Renato Olivero Caruso and the late Frances Blackburn Caruso DeForge.
Educated in the Long Beach and Oakland, CA public schools, she was married at age 17 to William R. Phillips, of the U.S. Navy in Seattle, WA in February, 1942. A daughter, Christine Joyce Phillips was born in San Francisco, CA in June 1944. Later divorced, she moved to southern MD and met Louis S. “Sam” Welch and they were married in March 1947 and raised their family in Benedict.
She was employed during the 1960’s in the Payroll Department for Bechtel Corp. in Aquasco and as a receptionist for Pepco at the Chalk Point Generating Station. She also worked in Contracts for the National Cancer Institute at NIH in Bethesda in the late 1960’s. She enjoyed the beaches of southern CA as a child and later Ocean City in MD with her family. She loved cooking and caring for her family, enjoying her cats, houseplants and loved reading a good mystery or suspense novel. She had a life-long love of words and her dictionary was always handy. She participated in exercise, walking and spelling bees held at Calvert Pines Senior Center in Prince Frederick, where she quite often was the winning speller.
In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her brother Paul, sister Rose, husband Sam, sons Joseph and Spencer. Her mother and daughter, Christine, both died on August 6, 1962.
She is survived by her daughters Louise Morgan of Mechanicsville, Karli (Larry) Simpson of LaPlata and Paulette Welch of Benedict; several grandchildren and great grandchildren as well as many nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers will be Matthew and Andrew Simpson, Jeff Marquess, Scott Wood and Kyle Welch.
Services are being held at Brinsfield Funeral Home & Crematory, P.A. in Charlotte Hall Saturday, November 19, 2022 from 10:00-11:00am with a Funeral Service officiated by Fr. Kevin Cusick at 11:00am followed by burial at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Bryantown.
Memorial contributions in Joyce’s name may be made to St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, Benedict, MD, Hospice of Charles County or Benedict Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad.
Online condolences may be made to the family at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com
Arrangements by Brinsfield Funeral Home & Crematory, P.A., Charlotte Hall, MD.