Sharon Sue Evans Welch

Sharon Sue Evans Welch of Albuquerque, NM passed away peacefully from a long battle with a chronic illness, on Sunday, October 27, 2024 surrounded by loved ones.

Sharon was born on January 9, 1946 in Wichita, KS to Pauline and Robert Osborn. At the age of 11, she was adopted by Pauline's husband, Robert Hammond. After her mother's death, she was raised in Wichita by her grandparents, Edith and Lemuel Maloney. She graduated from Wichita East High School in 1964.

After graduation, she married Kerry Evans, and had her only child, Jennifer. The family eventually moved to Amarillo, TX.

Sharon worked for Amarillo College in the Student Counseling Center, and then for the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce as a Convention and Visitors Bureau representative, for which she was very successful in attracting conventions to Amarillo.

In 1985, she met the love of her life, Mark Welch, who was working in the Panhandle of Texas. They married in February 1987, in Santa Fe, NM, at the First Baptist Church of Santa Fe. Sharon then moved to Albuquerque, NM and the adventure continued. In 1991, Mark's work took them to Sydney, Australia, where she met many new friends. She traveled around the South Pacific, to include New Caledonia, Thailand, Fiji, New Zealand, Vanuatu, and Bali. She also traveled extensively in Australia, where she rode in 100 ton mining trucks in the outback of Western Australia, swam in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef off Queensland, and explored Tasmania. She loved Australia.

They returned home to Albuquerque in the fall of 1999. Sharon and Mark joined Sandia Baptist Church, where they met many, many wonderful Christian friends, and Sharon was an active participant in several Bible Study Classes - Sharon was a strong Christian.

Sharon was a very gregarious and loving person. Everyone she ever met cared for her, and the feelings were mutual. Sharon was extremely beautiful, both physically and spiritually. She had several shih-tzu pets over the course of her marriage to Mark, with the latest one being little Piper, whom she adored. She was a terrific homemaker and had a beautiful garden every year. She was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and friend, who will be dearly missed.

Sharon leaves behind her devoted and loving husband, Mark; her daughter, Jennifer Gandy and her husband, Brent, of Amarillo, TX; stepchildren, Kristina Armstrong of Nampa, ID, Winston Welch of Honolulu, HI, and Kim Welch of Oak Harbor, WA; grandchildren, Greyson Gandy of Amarillo, TX, Allie Gandy of Lubbock, TX, Shelby Welch of Bellingham, WA, and Amanda Bradley of Caldwell, ID; and great-grandchildren, Everson, Rainy, and Aphrodite. She also leaves behind many, many dear friends who she loved so much.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, November 15th, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. at Sandia Baptist Church. To view the live, or recorded, Celebration of Life, go to www.sandiabaptist.org.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Animal Humane New Mexico in Sharon's name.