Dr. Thomas Joe Welsh was born on October 26, 1941, in Holdenville, Oklahoma and was raised on a farm in Collinsville, Oklahoma. Tom led a life of great humility, integrity, and was guided by his faith. He wanted to be remembered for who he was rather than for his many accomplishments. Tom began his higher education at Oklahoma State University where he received a degree in Veterinary Medicine in 1965. In 1966, he enlisted in the United States Army where he earned the rank of Captain. Following his discharge, he accepted the position of Research Associate at Hines VA Hospital (Maywood, IL), focusing on advanced research studies in laboratory animal medicine. Tom then entered a postdoctoral program at the University of Illinois at Chicago (College of Medicine) and was awarded a PhD in Pathology. He accepted a position at Rush Medical Center (Chicago, IL) as Director of The Center for Comparative Research where he worked for thirty years. Upon his retirement from Rush, he joined Northwestern Medical School (Chicago, IL) as a faculty member and Director of the Center for Comparative Medicine. Tom maintained his position as the Vice President of Veterinary Affairs and cofounder of PreLabs. For more than thirty years, Tom was a consultant for the Lombard Veterinary Hospital (Lombard, IL) as a pathologist. Tom earned the respect of his colleagues across his entire career and was a mentor to many.

During his brief military training program in Chicago, Tom met his future wife, Lenore, in the summer of 1966 and they were later married on a US Army base in Giessen, Germany in 1967. They were blessed with fifty-seven years of life together.

In his spare time, Tom enjoyed annual family ski trips to Colorado, golfing, fishing, and taking in the beauty and calm of the Northern Woods of Wisconsin. Tom always believed in giving back and did so through his many hours of volunteer work. Tom assisted in a variety of ways with Lutheran Church Charities, including part of a LERT team following Hurricane Katrina and the Comfort Dog Ministry. Tom supported his wife on her annual Avon Walks for Breast Cancer as a Crew Team member. Tom assisted travelers at O'Hare International Airport as a Travelers Aide and supported the United Airlines Fantasy Flight crew that provides the spirit of Christmas to children in hospice. Tom participated in Chicago Cares activities by painting classrooms of inner-city schools; he served on the Board of Directors for the One Small Voice Foundation. Tom was an active member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Elmhurst, IL and later at St. John's Lutheran Church in Lombard, IL.

Above all, Tom's most grand and cherished success was his family. He was a devoted husband to Lenore, dedicated father to Andrew Welsh (Carrie) and Brad Welsh (Melanie), and a loving grandfather to Ryan and Rachel. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother.

Tom's life, both personally and professionally, was guided by this simple quote:

"Seek first to understand, before being understood."

Ephesians 4:2  "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love"

A Celebration of Life will be held September 7, 2024 from 1:30 p.m. till the time of the service at 3:00 p.m. at Hultgren Funeral Home, 565 Randy Rd., Carol Stream.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry of Lutheran Church Charities, Northbrook, IL or St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN.