Cherished her family, worked in funeral and legal business
Published February 3, 2021
LYNNFIELD — Patricia A. Melendy (née Welsh), 79, passed away on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021, in the peaceful surroundings of her home with her loving and caring family at her side.
Patricia was a breast cancer survivor and lived courageously with bone cancer for the past few years. A resident of Lynnfield since 1962, she was born and raised in Chelsea. Patricia was the loving daughter of the late William F. Welsh Sr. and Pearl A. (Camillieri) Welsh.
She attended Our Lady of the Assumption Parochial School and Our Lady of Pity High School in North Cambridge for her freshman year. She finished her sophomore and senior years at St. Rose High School and graduated in 1958. Years later, she would continue her education attending the New England School of Anatomy and Science. She graduated in 1967 with highest honors, and was admitted into the Mu Sigma Alpha Honor Society. She obtained her license in funeral directing and embalming, and joined the family firm, Frank A. Welsh and Sons Funeral Home. Patricia also held the distinction of becoming the first female registered embalmer in Chelsea.
Soon thereafter, her devotion turned to home, raising her family of two daughters and one son. Later on, she worked outside of her home as a legal secretary for various private law firms. She was wed to David Melendy in 1988 and has shared the past 32 years happily together. In 2005, she left the workplace and her devotion again returned to life at home, now becoming a devoted grandmother and second mother to her first grandson, Ethan Wilson. She later welcomed four more adoring grandchildren into her life. In her lifetime, Patricia enjoyed vacationing with David to Bermuda and making frequent trips to New Hampshire. She also enjoyed gardening around her home and cooking.
She was the beloved wife of 32 years to David W. Melendy. She was the devoted mother of Jennifer Grealey and her husband John of Medford; Andrea Markarian Jones and her husband Michel Jones of Lynnfield; Stephen Markarian and his wife Elizabeth of Rowley; and her late infant daughters Bethany and Margaret Markarian. She was the cherished grandmother of Ethan Wilson, Madelyn Grealey, and Kiley, Lucas and Emma Markarian. She was the dear sister of Frank A. Welsh and the late William F. Welsh Jr., who served in the United States Air Force. She was the former wife and dear friend of the late Martin R. Markarian. Her nieces, nephew, cousins and extended family members also survive her.
Visiting hours will be held from the Welsh Funeral Home, 718 Broadway, Chelsea, on Wednesday, Feb. 3 from 4-7 p.m. Relatives and friends are most kindly invited to attend. All attendees are required to wear face coverings, practice physical distancing when greeting the family, pay their respects and exit the funeral home to allow other guests to enter. Due to present COVID-19 restrictions, funeral services will be private and will conclude with interment at Woodlawn Cemetery, Everett.
We encourage family and friends who wish to offer condolences at this time by means of the online guestbook or to send a personalized sympathy card by visiting www.WelshFH.com. Should friends desire, contributions in Patricia’s name should be directed to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, 28 West 44th St., Suite 609, New York, NY, 10036 or by visiting www.bcrf.org.
