Olin Henderson Welsh, 94, cherished husband, father, and friend, passed away peacefully on Saturday, June 19, 2021 at First Health Hospice in Pinehurst, NC.

Olin was born on October 9, 1926 in Elliott, SC, the youngest of 14 children of the late Blanche Witherspoon Welsh and Samuel Nelson Welsh.  His family moved to Lumberton in 1939, and he graduated from Lumberton High School in 1944.  Being a true patriot, Olin, along with his best friends Blake Leckie, Gilbert Lovette, and Johnny Bruton, all Lumberton boys, were Plankowners on the aircraft carrier USS Lake Champlain (CV-39) during World War II.

Olin was a 1951 graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Pharmacy and was a member of Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity. Naturally he was an enthusiastic supporter of the Tarheels, planning many bus trips with local fans to follow the Tarheels to away football games.

Olin worked with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals for 31 years, serving as sales representative and District Manager in Richmond, VA and in Charlotte, Raleigh, and Lumberton.  He was a valued leader in his company, having earned the President's Golden Circle Award in 1988 with Wyeth.  He maintained close friendships with allof his Wyeth colleagues over the years. Olin interrupted his service with Wyeth from 1963-65 to serve as the first pharmacist at Southeastern Regional Medical Center in Lumberton.  Even after retirement in 1991, Olin enjoyed working at Mast Drug Company and Medical Arts Pharmacy.

Not letting retirement slow him down, Olin and his wife Faye traveled over 100,000 miles in their RV and visited all 50 states and most of the provinces of Canada, making many new friends along the way and enjoying the fellowship of old friends and family members near and far.

Olin was a loyal member of Chestnut Street United Methodist Church in Lumberton since his teenage years and was a member of their Boy Scout Troop and Sea Scouts group.  He also sung in the Church choir. He served as a Trustee, a member of the United Ministry Council, and in several other capacities through the years.  Taking his Emmaus Walk with his friends from Chestnut Street was one of the defining moments of his life.

Olin was very tall and had a bigger-than-life persona.  His deep and unfailing memory (even at life's end) impressed all those who heard his multitude of entertaining true stories, some of which dated back to the 1930s.  Each story was filled with details involving almost every character, and frequently that character's own life in detail.  These stories were told by Olin in his deep Southern drawl, always unhurried.

Olin was preceded in death by seven brothers: Albert Nelson Welsh, William Burrell Welsh, Samuel Hubert Welsh, Edwin Anderson Welsh, Jesse Luckey Welsh, Samuel Nelson Welsh, Jr., and David Witherspoon Welsh; and six sisters: Sudie Elleyne Welsh Knotts, Emma Salaska Welsh Hungerpiller, Anne Olivia Welsh Folk, Harriett Yolande Welsh Almond, Mary Welsh Winter, and Sarah Ruth Welsh Buie.

Olin is survived by his loving wife of 40 years, Faye D. Bradford Welsh; four children from his marriage to the late Deborah Dawson: Sharon Llewellyn Welsh of Wilmington, NC, Olin Henderson "Rusty" Welsh, Jr. and wife Mary of Raleigh, NC, Amy Welsh Edelberg and husband Ralph of Raleigh, NC, and Mark Anthony Welsh of Raleigh, NC; one stepson, James Douglas Bradford and wife Adele of Whispering Pines, NC; and three stepdaughters: Cheryl Bradford Billingsley and husband John of Richmond, VA, Sandra Bradford Hammac (late husband, Morgan), and Patricia Bradford Garst and husband, John of Covington, GA.

He will be remembered in many ways:  loving husband to Faye; treasured Daddy to Sharon, Rusty, Amy, and Mark; stepfather and supportive friend to Jim, Cheryl, Sandy and Patty; "Uncle Penny" or "Unckie" to his nieces and nephews; cherished "Granddaddy" and "Big Daddy" to Emily, Andrew, Stewart, Sue, Laura, Brian, Jay, James, Sarah, Laura, Mac, Ash, Brad, Rachel, and Will; and playful "Great-Granddaddy" to Walker, Harper, Lillian, Ethan, Ava, Margot, Caiden, Jay, and Walker.

A service to celebrate his life will be held on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, at 2:00 PM at Chestnut Street United Methodist Church, 200 E. 8 ^th Street in Lumberton, NC. Burial will follow at Meadowbrook Cemetery in Lumberton, NC.

The family requests that memorial donations be made in Olin's name to:

• First Health Hospice Foundation, 150 Applecross Road, Pinehurst, NC 28374, to support the loving care provided by Hospice to countless families during difficult times, or
• Chestnut Street United Methodist Church, 200 E. 8 ^th Street, Lumberton, NC 28358.