George (Bryan) Welch III of Corpus Christi, Texas passed away on December 3, 2022 safe in the arms of his beloved wife Elvira ("Vila") Cortez Welch at the age of 76 after a lengthy series of illnesses. The happiest day of Mr. Welch's life was when his beautiful bride walked down the aisle at Wesley United Methodist Church in Corpus Christi and met him at the altar where their marriage was blessed in the presence of God and so many witnesses. The man who would soon become known as "Popo" was all "tuxed-up" for the occasion and had a smile on his face a yard wide! Little did George or Vila know at that point almost 40 years ago that besides the four children they already shared, their union would also be blessed (incredibly!) by 11 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. Those grandchildren (in order of their appearance over the coming years) would be Vila Rutan; Desiree (Daniel) Schuler; Madison Dawn Willis; Sarah Rutan; Joshua Rutan; Dominic Andrew (Jamie) Garcia; Demitric Folsom; Elijah Rutan; Julian Ruiz; Emma Kate McCusker; and Charlie (aka "Charlie Blue") Ruiz.

The aforementioned very proud parents of this fine cluster of grandchildren (already included in the swelling family by virtue of George and Vila's wedding vows) were: Camille (Robert) Rutan of Williamsburg, Virginia; Mercy (Tom) McCusker of San Antonio, Texas; Richard Ruiz of Corpus Christi, Texas; and Adrianna Ruiz of San Antonio, Texas.

Already the fabulous "circle of love" was growing and we haven't listed the great-grandchildren yet! By this time, even many of the adult family members were calling Mr.Welch "Popo!"

Those great-grandchildren by family group are: Aaliyah and Antonio, whose mother is Vila Rutan; Noah, Beaux and Cass whose mother is Desiree; Rachel Grace whose mother is Sarah Rutan; and "Baby Dominic" and his little sister Aliyah whose parents are Dominic Andrew and Jamie Garcia.

So the family grew and grew and the blessings of such a wonderful family were a part of the fabric of all our lives. Over the years, through all the trips to Garner State Park, to Lake Mathis, to California and Virginia and Las Vegas and Philadelphia and Louisiana and Washington DC and so many other places, the love and the blessings of God followed us wherever we went. If there was ever a wedding made in Heaven, it was the one between George and Vila Welch and his love for his "beautiful Vila" never wavered nor did his love for his children and grandchildren until finally "Popo" took his last breath and joined his other family in Heaven. God rest his mighty and loving soul!

(2) THE FIRST ROADS

George Bryan Welch III was born on Sunday, November 17, 1946 in DeQuincy, Louisiana to George Bryan Welch Jr. and Betty (Thomas) Welch. His father (George Jr.) was a Marine who served in some of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific War. His mother was a LVN who worked briefly at the hospital in DeQuincy and later at Hotel Dieu Hospital in Beaumont, Texas. Young George continued to live with his paternal grandparents George Bryan Welch Sr. and Willie Lora ("Meme") Welch for ten years while his mother commuted by train from her nursing job in Beaumont. His Grandfather Welch was a mechanic for the Missouri Pacific Railroad.  His Grandmother Welch was a regular member at First Baptist Church in DeQuincy, so from the two of them, young George developed a love for the Lord Jesus Christ and an enduring fascination with trains.  One of his earliest memories was riding the train to Indianapolis at Christmas time to visit his father, complete with snowmen and Christmas lights strung up in the downtown area just like in the old movies. Grandpa Welch slipped on the ice and we all laughed at that. Mr. Welch always remembered his days in Louisiana as "Tom Sawyer days" – life was truly good and like a dream in many respects.

(3) THE ROADS IN BETWEEN

At the age of ten, young George moved with his mother to Beaumont, Texas and another chapter of his life began. After graduation from high school, he enlisted in the military and was proud to be selected as a part of the fabled command known then as the United States Air Force Security Service (USAFSS) – a part of the vast network of military intelligence workers who keep our nation safe. Airman Welch carried a Top Secret Codeword clearance and was forbidden, along with his comrades from those days of speaking to anyone out of the net of the work he was doing. Most activities in USAFSS were declassified in the late 1990s. Some of our history could finally be told. Airman Welch wrote three books about his work primarily at Misawa Air Base Japan. The books were entitled "Insomnia Mimatsu -A Story of Love and Espionage in Misawa";

"Misawa - A Song of the Machi"; and "Eisenhower's Children - the Road to Misawa."

After discharge from the Air Force Mr. Welch studied literature and journalism at Georgia Southern University and eventually graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. He was an ordained Baptist minister who served four churches across the Midwest and Southwest. In the Nineties Mr. Welch worked as a hotel manager and accountant for several companies in Corpus Christi before retiring.

In addition to the children and grandchildren listed above, Mr. Welch is survived by his son Robert (Allison) Welch and their children; and by his daughter Dr. Ami (Welch) Murphy and her husband Patrick and their children.

Popo Welch loved the great promise in Romans 8:38-39: "For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Military Burial will begin promptly at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, December

13, 2022 at Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery, 9974 IH 37 access road, Corpus Christi, Texas 78410-1408.  Family will have reception to follow: please call or text 210-885-4471 for more information.