A memorial tribute to Thomas “Frank” Welch,
co-founder of our company,
Welch Healthcare & Retirement Group

Mr. Frank Welch, co-founder of Welch Healthcare & Retirement Group, passed away October 17th at 86 years old. 

Over 50 years ago, Frank and his devoted wife Rita  embarked on a journey that began with the simple but powerful goal of caring for our elders.  This concept was the driving force that constructed the solid foundation of our company as we know it today.

Rita and Frank applied for their first license to operate in 1949 at the John Scott House in Braintree, which was their family’s home.  Little did they know their vision would require them to be innovative pioneers who broke ground in every aspect of providing healthcare for elders who could not care for themselves.

As Mrs. Welch recently stated during a speech, “In the beginning, Mr. Welch continued with his day job while  improving the facility at night.  We can recall him falling down the dumb-waiter while in the process of installing it.  We can picture him tiling the basement floor, plastering the boiler room and much more.   Today it is so different in starting a facility.   No one does this today with their own two hands as we did.”

And they built this company together with their seven children who did every chore necessary to maintain a clean and healthy environment for their residents.

In fact, Mrs. Welch further stated “The children helped out in the kitchen and recruited their friends to help.  They could pass the trays, weed the gardens, mow the lawn, entertain patients, and deliver May and Easter baskets after helping to make them and filling them with goodies.    Even then we knew this was important to the happiness and contentment of the individual.”   

While Mrs. Welch lobbied the legislature for nursing home funding, developed accreditation programs for nursing homes and professional licensure requirements for nurses, as well as the first CNA class, Mr. Welch kept the home fires burning in a quiet, determined and effective manner with his outstanding work ethic and dedication to excellence.

As his son Tom mentioned in his eulogy, “he was a man who people mistook for the janitor (instead of the owner)” because he kept the building in top notch condition, all while being a loving husband and dutiful Father to his children.

Mr. & Mrs. Welch’s marriage was a true partnership in every sense of the word.  And it is within this partnership and his commitment to family, that our company has grown from humble beginnings in his family home in Braintree to the extensive and capable network of caregiving services provided to elders on the South Shore.  We are proud to be a part of his enduring legacy.