David Welch

David Paul Welch
October 19 ,1971 - July 4, 2016

David Paul Welch, 44, of Chapel Hill, NC, passed away at home on July 4, 2016 from complications associated with lung cancer. He was born on October 19, 1971 in Cincinnati, OH and grew up in North Canton, OH, where he graduated from Hoover High School in 1990. He received a BS degree in biology from Vanderbilt University in 1994 and a PhD in Environmental Science from Indiana University in 2007.
David loved his work as an ecologist. He got his start in the field as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya, where he worked with local farmers on reforestation efforts in and around the town of Taveta. At his most recent position as the Director of the Plant Conservation Program at the North Carolina State Department of Agriculture, he managed the acquisition and stewardship of thousands of acres of land from the North Carolina mountains to the coast for the preservation of endangered native plants, such as ginseng, pitcher plant and Venus flytraps.
David was a loving and supportive spouse to his wife of eleven years, Katherine Roberts, and a patient, kind and playful Dad to their two young children, Serena Welch (7) and Daniel Welch (5). He is also survived by his parents, Dr. Paul and Miriam Welch of North Canton, OH, his sister and brother-in-law, Lisa and Jeff Kapp, of Cleveland, OH, and their two children, Katherine and Jake. David will be deeply missed by all of them.
There will be a memorial service to honor David's life on Saturday, July 9 at 10:00 a.m. at the Church of Reconciliation (110 N. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27514) in Chapel Hill. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Chapel Hill Mennonite Fellowship, P.O. Box 2145, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2145.

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