WINSLOW — Carmen Begin Welch, 69, of Winslow passed away peacefully into the arms of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ at home with her family in Winslow on Saturday, May 6.

She was born in Lewiston, the daughter of Leopold and Yvette Begin.

Carmen graduated from Lewiston High School, and went on to earn an associate degree from Bliss College as the first in her family to obtain a college education. She started her working career in Lewiston at Central Maine Power and worked a number of years at SAPPI’s Somerset Mill in the purchasing department. She then spent many years at International Paper, Augusta (Woodlands Division) in the HR department. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Husson College, she was promoted to human resources manager. Carmen was an asset in her role at IP, as her ability to communicate in fluent French was helpful with some of the border regions where she worked. When IP closed the Northeast Division, she finished her HR career at the State of Maine Natural Resources Service Center, retiring in 2012 after 30 years of service in HR.

Carmen married Robert Welch in 1972 in Lewiston and resided in Winslow for 40 years. Carmen loved music, particularly playing the lap steel guitar, a joy perfected since the age of 8 years old. She also played the acoustic guitar, harmonica, ukulele and piano, all self-taught. She played music with her family and as part of a group on weekly visits to nursing homes. She also enjoyed spending summers on the lake with family, painting, wood-carving and gardening. She could do anything to which she put her mind. She loved animals, especially cats, and traveling near and far with her family and friends.

Carmen was a devoted wife, loving mother, grandmother, aunt and friend. She will be remembered for her kind and beautiful heart, witty sense of humor, and exceptional musical and artistic talents. She was quick with a kind word or joke, and was always conscious of the well-being of others. Carmen was a communicant at St. John’s Baptist Church in Winslow.

Carmen is survived by her husband of 45 years, Robert Welch; her two sons, Eric Welch and Daniel Welch; her daughter, Kristine Welch Taylor; her two brothers Larry Begin, Conrad Begin; and her two sisters Anne (Begin) Tetreault and Claire (Begin) Amero. Carmen is also survived by her two grandsons, Brodee and Beckett Welch, and many nieces and nephews.

The Welch family wishes to thank the staff at Maine General Hospice and Helping Hands for their compassionate care and support.

An online guest book may be signed and condolences expressed at www.gallantfh.com.

Carmen B. Welch


Share your condolences, kind words and remembrances below. You must be logged into the website to comment. Subscribers, please login. Not a subscriber? Register to comment for free or subscribe to support our work.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.