Mary Welch

On the morning of August 20th, Mary Beth Cofod Welch of Litchfield, NH passed away peacefully from complications due to pneumonia, at Beth Israel Medical Center in Boston, MA. Her family was by her side at the time of her passing. Mary was 72 years old.

Mary was born on June 25, 1944 to Arthur and Frances Cofod, in New York City. She was raised in Sparta, NJ and graduated from Sparta High School, in
1962. She always considered Sparta her home and enjoyed returning any chance she could to visit loved ones.

In 1967 Mary gave birth to her daughter Rebecca while married to her first husband. In 1972, she married her life's love, Bob Welch. Together they lived in Paramus and Bellemead, NJ. before moving to Hollis, NH in 1979 after the birth of their son, Matthew in 1977. Mary had a zest for life and loved entertaining at their family home.

As a professional, Mary was a hard worker who loved working with teams, solving problems, being creative and achieving goals. In the early years of her career, she served 5 years as the Tax Assessor in Paramus, NJ. An early pioneer of computerized assessments and re-evaluations, she led the state of New Jersey in implementing the first computerized assessment in Paramus. Following this, Mary spent the next 23 years with Digital Equipment Corporation in a variety of senior executive positions. While working there, she received an MBA from Northeastern University's Executive MBA Program in 1986.

She spent the last 8 years of her career with the Gartner, Inc. retiring as a Research VP in 2001. She was a noted industry leader in the fields of software asset management and pricing. Always the world traveler, she felt fortunate that her work at Gartner gave her the opportunity to travel extensively in North America, Europe, and Australia.

Mary was always active and had an adventurous side. She was a licensed single engine pilot, ran a variety of road races, and was an avid skier and ski race official who officiated throughout NH as a USSA race official. She was also formerly president of the Waterville Valley BBTS Ski Association. After retiring, she lived in Alton Bay, NH and became active with EndorFun sports helping with triathlons and other race events throughout NH. She always enjoyed spending time with the athletes in the heat of the action.

In addition to her adventurous side, Mary was an extraordinary grandmother, mother, and wife who was quick to drop everything for her family. She had a special knack for knowing just what to say to make you feel better and her infectious smile could brighten even the darkest of rooms. She loved spending time with her family, especially her granddaughters.

She leaves behind her husband of 44 years Bob; her two children, Rebecca Cofod and Matthew Welch; daughter-in-law, Christina Welch; her grandchildren Avery and Aisling Welch; 2 brothers, her twin, Franklin Cofod and older brother Art Cofod; as well as, many nieces, nephews, and cousins whom she loved dearly. She was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Frances Cofod; her sister, Sheila Gerber; and her nieces, Rachel McCullough and Nicole Berman.

Mary inspired and mentored many people in her professional and personal life and will be sorely missed!

Mary's life will be remembered and celebrated on Friday August 26th with a Memorial Service at Church of the Good Shepherd, 214 Main St, Nashua, NH at 11am, followed by a Celebration of Life gathering at the Clubhouse at 2 Old Stage Road, just off Rt. 3A in Litchfield, NH.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Make-A-Wish New Hampshire in Mary's name so that some magical wishes may be granted in her memory.

Make-A-Wish New Hampshire
814 Elm Street, suite 300
Manchester, NH 03101