Stephen M. Welch

FARMINGDALE – A Soul Mate, A Best Friend. In the beauty and comfort of his home and surrounded with love, Steve left this Earth on April 10, 2021, after a five-month battle with that hideous disease called cancer. Yet, with the heart and soul of a warrior, he accepted his diagnosis with optimism and determination. Although cancer took our beloved Steve far too soon, he won at life and left an unforgettable impression on those that knew and loved him. Steve was born Sept. 19, 1958, in Waterville, and resided with his parents John and Shirley, and his two siblings, Bruce and Cindy, in Clinton. He enjoyed and always spoke fondly of the freedom and independence he had while growing up in a small town. He shared countless adventures with the neighborhood kids and developed lifetime friendships with them. The family spent many weekends and vacations in the North Woods of Maine at a remote campsite on Ragged Lake, which sparked Steve’s deeply rooted love for the Moosehead Lake Region at a young age. Years later, his parents leased land from the paper company, and they began to build their camp on the water on weekends and vacations. He spent many of his young days fishing, hiking, and picking berries with his mother. Later on, he found a different “happy place” on Moosehead Lake in the village of Rockwood, where he enjoyed sunrises, boating, snowmobiling, and blueberry picking on his own land. Special memories include Mt. Kineo golf tournaments, snowmobile trips to Canada, boat trips to Greenville for dinner, 4th of July raft-up, and long summer days spent relaxing on and driving his “living room on the water.” Steve never missed a sunrise at his condo (the “love shack”); he would take note of the sunrise time, set his alarm, and be ready to take photos of the sunrise to share with his friends. When he wasn’t thinking of his girls, he was thinking of Rockwood. He shared his love of the area with his closest friends and family every chance that he had. He cared deeply for his Rockwood friends and considered them to be his family. They were with him every step of the way, and we are so grateful for their love and support. He graduated as a member of the Lawrence High School class of 1976, where he met the greatest love of his life and true soul mate, Jennifer Fales. They were together for 44 years, married for 34, and wanted 20 more. They shared an abundance of wonderful adventures together, and his two most favorite ones were his daughters, Cassandra and Olivia. He was an exceptionally loving and devoted father; he was the ultimate girls’ dad. Though our hearts are heavy with loss, we are filled with gratitude for the fabulous life that we shared. He was our rock, our safe place, and our warrior. Steve was employed in construction, carpentry, and shipbuilding when he answered an employment ad in the Boston Globe, leading to a well-respected, 30-year career in power generation. He excelled in the positions of site manager, director, and most recently, Regional Outage Manager, New York, New England, California, for Vistra Corp. During the years of travel to projects at power plants across the country, he developed deep, long-lasting friendships with many of his colleagues. Their daily check-ins, texts, calls, Facetimes, and visits during the illness were full of love, encouragement, and inspiration, which meant so much to Steve and his family. Steve is survived by his loving wife, Jennifer; and adoring daughters, Cassandra and Olivia, “his gems” for whom he possessed a reservoir of unconditional love and support that his girls hold dear in their hearts. He also loved his fur babies Oliver, Lennon, and Hendrix. He is survived by his siblings Bruce Welch and Cindy Bolduc and many other loving family members and close cherished friends.No formal memorial is planned, but one could spontaneously break out any time when family or friends are together. Steve’s optimism and pure outlook on life distinguished him from others, shaping his glowing, magnetic spirit that brought great love and friendship, which helps to soothe our hearts, living day-by-day by his philosophy.