Obituary: Margaret (Peggy) Welch, 60, of Branford

Obituary courtesy W. S. Clancy Memorial Funeral Home.

Margaret (Peggy) Welch of Branford, a life-long nurse and nursing administrator whose selfless nature, mentorship, and commitment to helping others changed the lives of countless people, died peacefully at home on May 31 at the age of 60.

A graduate of St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing, Peggy worked as a registered nurse at Yale New Haven Hospital and later at the Connecticut Hospice and Apple Healthcare. During the 1990s, she courageously worked through the AIDS epidemic. She fought selflessly for her patients throughout the current pandemic in her role as Director of Nursing at Branford Hills Health Care Center. She was a recipient of the 2010 Nightingale Award for Excellence in Nursing.

Peggy had a natural gift for helping others and she did it tirelessly. With her gentle heart and kind soul, she guided all that were lucky enough to be around her. A spiritual person, Peggy taught eighth-grade Sunday School students for over a decade at the First Congregational Church in Branford, where she also served on the human resources committee. She volunteered as a nurse at Branford’s Camp Totoket for kids whose childhoods were impacted by AIDS.

Daughter of the late Mary Lou and Donald Welch, she is survived by her sisters Ginger Dendas (Sam) of Branford; Linda Karoff (Paul) of Hull, Mass.; and Susie Fiskio (Bob) of Branford. She is also survived by nine nieces and nephews whom she loved as if they were her own children: Michael Dendas (Sara) of Bethesda, Maryland; Emily Fiskio (Dan Iead) of Brooklyn, NY; Claire Karoff (Alex Koch) of Brooklyn; Tyler Dendas (Hannah) of Beverly, Mass.; Ellie Fiskio of Branford; Maggie Karoff (Adam Williams) of Searsmont, Maine; Elizabeth Lewis (Mark) of Branford; Zach Dendas of Essex, Connecticut; and Charlie Fiskio of Branford; a great nephew and two great nieces; an aunt Madelyn Gullans (Bob) of Branford; and an aunt Margaret Boyer of East Haven.

The family held a graveside service. A celebration of her life will be planned in the future. Donations in Peggy’s memory may be made to support a scholarship for a Branford student pursuing a career in nursing, payable to the Branford Community Foundation (attn. the Peggy Welch Fund), P.O. Box 462, Branford, CT 06405.