Welch, Lyndon 4/17/1923 - 6/14/2018
Lyndon Welch grew up in the Boston area where his father, Joseph Nye Welch, was an attorney who rose to prominence during the Army-McCarthy hearings. His mother, Judith Hampton Lyndon, performed on the Chautauqua Circuit, and instilled in him his love of music. Throughout his life, he sang and played the banjo, the ukulele, and the harmonica. He spent his childhood in the quiet New England town of Walpole where, with his older brother Joe, he became an excellent swimmer and ice skater. A gift of blocks and old drafting tools when he was a child set his course: he would be an architect and structural engineer.
In 1941, in the midst of his studies at Harvard, Welch was painting scenery for a college play when he heard, over the radio, of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Two weeks after graduation, in 1943, he was in the Navy as a lieutenant and code breaker aboard the destroyer USS Bullard in the Pacific Theater.
In 1946, the Navy sent Welch to the University of Michigan to complete a technical course in the design of ships, and it was in Ann Arbor that he met Angela Dobson, an economics major at Vassar College. They married in 1947 and moved to Boston where Lyndon Welch completed a master's degree in civil engineering at M.I.T.
They then returned to Ann Arbor to make their home. Lyndon Welch started at Smith, Hinchman & Grylls, a Detroit architectural firm; he also taught part time at the U-M. In the early 1950s, he joined the office of Victor Gruen and was part of the team that built Northland Mall; when it opened, in 1954, it was the world's largest shopping center. In 1956 he joined Eberle M. Smith Associates, a well-known Detroit architectural firm, and rose through the ranks to become president.
In 1978 he "retired" to open his own consulting firm in Ann Arbor specializing in structural and foundation design. His children remember their father as a brilliant, kind, and witty man who loved puzzles and puns. His life was filled with good friends, extended family, music, many beloved pugs, and the love and respect of so many. He was exceptionally polite with everyone. When he became annoyed at a caregiver toward the end, he told her in no uncertain terms that "I think you should go jump in the Adriatic Sea!" He was a tireless contributor to his Ann Arbor Community, including a stint as Chairman of the Ann Arbor Housing Commission that provided housing to low income residents.
In 2015 Lyndon and his late wife of 64 years, Angela Dobson Welch, endowed a research professorship in the Department of Neurology at the University of Michigan that supports the fight against Alzheimer's disease.
Lyndon Welch is survived by his children, Judith Welch Landecker, Angela Welch Lenz, and Joseph Nye Welch II, his grandchildren, Tracy Lyndon Landecker, Amy Lauren Landecker, Judith Belle Lenz, William E. Lenz IV, Rebecca Lee Welch, Joseph "Jesse" Nye Welch III, and great-grandchildren Iris Lynch and Raphael Alejandro Welch. The family is grateful to his devoted caregiver Della Bates and to every member of Team Lyndon for taking such good care of him in his last years.
There will be a private family burial at Forest Hill Cemetery.
Lyndon Welch grew up in the Boston area where his father, Joseph Nye Welch, was an attorney who rose to prominence during the Army-McCarthy hearings. His mother, Judith Hampton Lyndon, performed on the Chautauqua Circuit, and instilled in him his love of music. Throughout his life, he sang and played the banjo, the ukulele, and the harmonica. He spent his childhood in the quiet New England town of Walpole where, with his older brother Joe, he became an excellent swimmer and ice skater. A gift of blocks and old drafting tools when he was a child set his course: he would be an architect and structural engineer.
In 1941, in the midst of his studies at Harvard, Welch was painting scenery for a college play when he heard, over the radio, of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Two weeks after graduation, in 1943, he was in the Navy as a lieutenant and code breaker aboard the destroyer USS Bullard in the Pacific Theater.
In 1946, the Navy sent Welch to the University of Michigan to complete a technical course in the design of ships, and it was in Ann Arbor that he met Angela Dobson, an economics major at Vassar College. They married in 1947 and moved to Boston where Lyndon Welch completed a master's degree in civil engineering at M.I.T.
They then returned to Ann Arbor to make their home. Lyndon Welch started at Smith, Hinchman & Grylls, a Detroit architectural firm; he also taught part time at the U-M. In the early 1950s, he joined the office of Victor Gruen and was part of the team that built Northland Mall; when it opened, in 1954, it was the world's largest shopping center. In 1956 he joined Eberle M. Smith Associates, a well-known Detroit architectural firm, and rose through the ranks to become president.
In 1978 he "retired" to open his own consulting firm in Ann Arbor specializing in structural and foundation design. His children remember their father as a brilliant, kind, and witty man who loved puzzles and puns. His life was filled with good friends, extended family, music, many beloved pugs, and the love and respect of so many. He was exceptionally polite with everyone. When he became annoyed at a caregiver toward the end, he told her in no uncertain terms that "I think you should go jump in the Adriatic Sea!" He was a tireless contributor to his Ann Arbor Community, including a stint as Chairman of the Ann Arbor Housing Commission that provided housing to low income residents.
In 2015 Lyndon and his late wife of 64 years, Angela Dobson Welch, endowed a research professorship in the Department of Neurology at the University of Michigan that supports the fight against Alzheimer's disease.
Lyndon Welch is survived by his children, Judith Welch Landecker, Angela Welch Lenz, and Joseph Nye Welch II, his grandchildren, Tracy Lyndon Landecker, Amy Lauren Landecker, Judith Belle Lenz, William E. Lenz IV, Rebecca Lee Welch, Joseph "Jesse" Nye Welch III, and great-grandchildren Iris Lynch and Raphael Alejandro Welch. The family is grateful to his devoted caregiver Della Bates and to every member of Team Lyndon for taking such good care of him in his last years.
There will be a private family burial at Forest Hill Cemetery.
Welch, Lyndon 4/17/1923 - 6/14/2018
Lyndon Welch grew up in the Boston area where his father, Joseph Nye Welch, was an attorney who rose to prominence during the Army-McCarthy hearings. His mother, Judith Hampton Lyndon, performed on the Chautauqua Circuit, and instilled in him his love of music. Throughout his life, he sang and played the banjo, the ukulele, and the harmonica. He spent his childhood in the quiet New England town of Walpole where, with his older brother Joe, he became an excellent swimmer and ice skater. A gift of blocks and old drafting tools when he was a child set his course: he would be an architect and structural engineer.
In 1941, in the midst of his studies at Harvard, Welch was painting scenery for a college play when he heard, over the radio, of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Two weeks after graduation, in 1943, he was in the Navy as a lieutenant and code breaker aboard the destroyer USS Bullard in the Pacific Theater.
In 1946, the Navy sent Welch to the University of Michigan to complete a technical course in the design of ships, and it was in Ann Arbor that he met Angela Dobson, an economics major at Vassar College. They married in 1947 and moved to Boston where Lyndon Welch completed a master's degree in civil engineering at M.I.T.
They then returned to Ann Arbor to make their home. Lyndon Welch started at Smith, Hinchman & Grylls, a Detroit architectural firm; he also taught part time at the U-M. In the early 1950s, he joined the office of Victor Gruen and was part of the team that built Northland Mall; when it opened, in 1954, it was the world's largest shopping center. In 1956 he joined Eberle M. Smith Associates, a well-known Detroit architectural firm, and rose through the ranks to become president.
In 1978 he "retired" to open his own consulting firm in Ann Arbor specializing in structural and foundation design. His children remember their father as a brilliant, kind, and witty man who loved puzzles and puns. His life was filled with good friends, extended family, music, many beloved pugs, and the love and respect of so many. He was exceptionally polite with everyone. When he became annoyed at a caregiver toward the end, he told her in no uncertain terms that "I think you should go jump in the Adriatic Sea!" He was a tireless contributor to his Ann Arbor Community, including a stint as Chairman of the Ann Arbor Housing Commission that provided housing to low income residents.
In 2015 Lyndon and his late wife of 64 years, Angela Dobson Welch, endowed a research professorship in the Department of Neurology at the University of Michigan that supports the fight against Alzheimer's disease.
Lyndon Welch is survived by his children, Judith Welch Landecker, Angela Welch Lenz, and Joseph Nye Welch II, his grandchildren, Tracy Lyndon Landecker, Amy Lauren Landecker, Judith Belle Lenz, William E. Lenz IV, Rebecca Lee Welch, Joseph "Jesse" Nye Welch III, and great-grandchildren Iris Lynch and Raphael Alejandro Welch. The family is grateful to his devoted caregiver Della Bates and to every member of Team Lyndon for taking such good care of him in his last years.
There will be a private family burial at Forest Hill Cemetery.
Lyndon Welch grew up in the Boston area where his father, Joseph Nye Welch, was an attorney who rose to prominence during the Army-McCarthy hearings. His mother, Judith Hampton Lyndon, performed on the Chautauqua Circuit, and instilled in him his love of music. Throughout his life, he sang and played the banjo, the ukulele, and the harmonica. He spent his childhood in the quiet New England town of Walpole where, with his older brother Joe, he became an excellent swimmer and ice skater. A gift of blocks and old drafting tools when he was a child set his course: he would be an architect and structural engineer.
In 1941, in the midst of his studies at Harvard, Welch was painting scenery for a college play when he heard, over the radio, of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Two weeks after graduation, in 1943, he was in the Navy as a lieutenant and code breaker aboard the destroyer USS Bullard in the Pacific Theater.
In 1946, the Navy sent Welch to the University of Michigan to complete a technical course in the design of ships, and it was in Ann Arbor that he met Angela Dobson, an economics major at Vassar College. They married in 1947 and moved to Boston where Lyndon Welch completed a master's degree in civil engineering at M.I.T.
They then returned to Ann Arbor to make their home. Lyndon Welch started at Smith, Hinchman & Grylls, a Detroit architectural firm; he also taught part time at the U-M. In the early 1950s, he joined the office of Victor Gruen and was part of the team that built Northland Mall; when it opened, in 1954, it was the world's largest shopping center. In 1956 he joined Eberle M. Smith Associates, a well-known Detroit architectural firm, and rose through the ranks to become president.
In 1978 he "retired" to open his own consulting firm in Ann Arbor specializing in structural and foundation design. His children remember their father as a brilliant, kind, and witty man who loved puzzles and puns. His life was filled with good friends, extended family, music, many beloved pugs, and the love and respect of so many. He was exceptionally polite with everyone. When he became annoyed at a caregiver toward the end, he told her in no uncertain terms that "I think you should go jump in the Adriatic Sea!" He was a tireless contributor to his Ann Arbor Community, including a stint as Chairman of the Ann Arbor Housing Commission that provided housing to low income residents.
In 2015 Lyndon and his late wife of 64 years, Angela Dobson Welch, endowed a research professorship in the Department of Neurology at the University of Michigan that supports the fight against Alzheimer's disease.
Lyndon Welch is survived by his children, Judith Welch Landecker, Angela Welch Lenz, and Joseph Nye Welch II, his grandchildren, Tracy Lyndon Landecker, Amy Lauren Landecker, Judith Belle Lenz, William E. Lenz IV, Rebecca Lee Welch, Joseph "Jesse" Nye Welch III, and great-grandchildren Iris Lynch and Raphael Alejandro Welch. The family is grateful to his devoted caregiver Della Bates and to every member of Team Lyndon for taking such good care of him in his last years.
There will be a private family burial at Forest Hill Cemetery.
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