Obituary of Mary Elizabeth Welsh

Mary Elizabeth Welsh, O.ONT; B.A.; B.P.H.E. October 21, 1938 - July 13, 2023 A Community Champion has left us. Every once in a while, a remarkable individual makes a significant difference in the lives of the people around them. This rare kind of person enhances a community and affects events and attitudes that make for a better way of living. We had one such individual here in Brantford and her name was Mary Welsh. She made a difference in education, as a teacher and as a School Board Trustee. She made a difference for our community as a member of City Council. She made a difference in sports and recreation and has spearheaded the enhancement and preservation of our city's and county's natural resources, especially with regard to multi-use trails linked to the Trans-Canada Trail system and the enjoyment of our section of the Grand River. She made a difference in business with the careful development of a number of projects. Mary was a tireless fundraiser for a host of worthy community initiatives, including local hospital Foundations, the YM-YWCA, local Cancer Society, local Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts, and many others. Perhaps the biggest contribution Mary Welsh made to our community was her initiative which led to the Brant Waterways Foundation. This successful Foundation, created to enhance, preserve, protect and restore the natural resources of the Grand River and its related tributaries and adjacent land within Brant County, owes its creation to the drive and mentoring of Mary Welsh. She was also a founding member of the Brantford Collegiate Alumni Foundation and the driving force behind the Brant Animal Aid Foundation. She lived the latter's mission: "to provide funding assistance for projects that assist in the prevention and relief of unnecessary suffering of animals within the County of Brant, due to injury, abuse or neglect." In recognition of this life well lived, among many other tributes, Mary was invested into the Order of Ontario, the Province's highest award, for more than 35 years of community service. Mary was the daughter of John Reginald Welsh and Irene May (Young) Welsh. She leaves treasured memories for cousins Glenn (Ruth Ann) Young of Brantford and Shirley Patton of Winnipeg, and Peter Welsh (Tricia) of Oakville and Florida and Robert Welsh of Burlington. Mary is fondly remembered by her cousins David (Nancy), Paul (Joanne), Dianne and Graham (Jennifer) Young of Brantford. An animal lover from an early age, she was given her first pony at age four, Mary became a champion equestrian and subsequently competed in southern Ontario, Buffalo and the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto. Dogs were most important to her and she always had at least one, and sometimes four, which often accompanied her around town in the back of her car. There were also some cats around the stable which sometimes were allowed into the house. As a student at Brantford Collegiate Institute and Vocational School and later at Queen's University she was an outstanding athlete competing in four varsity sports - Badminton, Tennis, Volleyball and Basketball. After graduating in 1962 she taught Physical Education at Galt Collegiate and then at Brantford Collegiate Institute where she inspired a new generation of athletes. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Beckett-Glaves Family Funeral Centre, 88 Brant Ave., Brantford, 519-752-4331. A service will be held at Farringdon Church on Friday, July 28th, 2023 at 2:30 pm, with burial following at adjacent Farringdon Burial Grounds. A Public Reception and Celebration of Life will take place Friday afternoon at the Brantford Golf and Country Club, 60 Ava Rd., Brantford from 4 pm to 7 pm. If wished, donations to the Brant Waterways Foundation, (brantwaterways.ca) B.C.I.and V.S. Alumni Foundation (bcifoundation.ca) or the Brant Animal Aid Foundation (brantanimalaid.com) would be appreciated. A tree will be planted in memory of Mary in the Beckett-Glaves Memorial Forest