Obituary of NanSea Ann Welsh

NanSea Ann Welsh died at St Joseph's Hospital Tacoma, a day after her 74th birthday. After 4 days in a coma she opened her eyes and died peacefully on 30 April 2023. Her cause of death was a severe reaction to immunotherapy she was taking for metastatic melanoma.

NanSea was born on 29 April 1949 to Larry Schleining and Kathryn Holodnick in Helena, MT. After NanSea graduated from Puyallup High school in 1967, she worked in the banking industry followed by working as an executive secretary for Weyerhaeuser Paper Division, a financial broker, an industrial CEO, and finally as the Business License Administrator for the City of Kent, WA.

NanSea was introduced to Charlie Welsh by Charlie’s ex-wife who recognized their mutual interest in tennis and skiing. They were married on 24 November 1995. Charlie retired as 747 captain in 1999 and NanSea retired from the city of Kent the following year. Their 28 years of marriage was an incredible adventure for the two. They skied in most of the resorts in the US and many in Europe. They didn’t just visit all 50 states, but slept in all of them. They traveled to 63 countries throughout the world and cruised on river and ocean ships for more than 400 days.

NanSea was renowned for her craft talents with computer graphics, calligraphy and Cricut design. She did the graphics and name tags for numerous high school and Charlie’s military reunions. In 1988 she decided to learn how to use computers. She enrolled in a class at the community college called “Basic” thinking it was a class to teach her how to turn the computer on. Basic turned out to be an advanced computer language. She got an A in that class and continued on to get her Associates degree in Aviation. She graduated from Green River College as valedictorian with her Commercial and Instrument licenses.

She is survived by her mother, Kathryn Schleining, her husband, Charlie Welsh, her daughter Jenifer Ryser, Jenifer’s husband, Jeremy Ryser, Charlie’s two daughters, Jennifer Anderson and Katie Welsh, Katie’s husband, Arnoud Zeelen, and grandchildren, Sydnie Nix, Charles Zeelen, Daniel Cook and his wife, Anna.