In Memory

Lois Mildred Maltbie (Welch) - Class Of 1938

Lois Mildred Maltbie (Welch)

Lois Mildred Maltbie Welch (November 12, 1919 - May 16, 2019) passed away peacefully at Sonoma Hospital with her loving daughter Dianne holding her hand. She was 99 years old.

Lois was born to Curtis and Mildred Maltbie in Los Angeles. During the 1920s and 1930s, she lived in Los Angeles and other Southern California cities, did well in school, and studied piano. In 1940, she married her childhood sweetheart, Harry V Welch, Jr. The couple then moved to Riverside, where their first child, James, was born in 1941. Lois and Harry built a family together, as Harry served as a Federal Farm Advisor in various locations in California. Their second child, Dianne, was born in 1945 in Willows. After the war, the family moved to Monrovia, and then settled in 1952 in a house they built together in Glendora. Lois became an active member in women's organizations at Cal Poly Pomona, where Harry was a professor. Their third child, a son, Corey, was born in 1956. Lois increased her volunteering to include work in the school library, as well as the PTA, and at the same time learning to create ceramic art.

After retirement in 1974, Lois and Harry moved to San Clemente, and Lois was able to spend even more time in pursuing her lifelong fascination with art by taking classes at community college, and practicing and experimenting with new techniques and media. The couple made trips to Europe and Asia, as well as repeat trips to favorites such as Yosemite, where Lois enjoyed nature and completed paintings. In 1982, Lois and Harry moved to Sonoma. After Harry passed away in 1989, Lois continued to live in the Sonoma area, building many new friendships, serving as a volunteer at local museums, traveling with friends and family, and constantly seeking to develop her skills as an artist. Lois took great joy in sharing with others her expression of visual beauty through painting, a passion she continued up to the end. Her gentle humor and open, tolerant, and curious nature led her to be much beloved by a wide circle of friends and relatives. She loved learning from others, engaging them in deep, respectful dialog, even as she treasured quiet times spent in reflection or reading her favorite art books or mysteries multiple times. Although she occasionally entered her art in shows and competitions (and winning awards), she especially enjoyed sharing her works with others. Those who possess her paintings cherish them not just for their beauty, but for the memories they evoke of Lois' generous and loving spirit.

Lois is survived by her three children, three grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her brother.

Press Democrat, June 9, 2019