Obituary of John McKay Welty

John was born July 5, 1940, in Lamar, Colorado, to Fred and Neva (Sanders) Welty. He was the oldest of five children. He had many fond memories of hunting arrowheads in and around Lamar. In 1953, the family relocated to the Yakima Valley. In 1957, John enlisted in the U. S. Air Force for four years at the age of 17. After serving in the Air Force, he moved to the Seattle area. John married Gloria Cotner in 1961, and they were married for 28 years. They had one daughter, Loma Linda. John worked for a short time at Boeing when he first moved to Seattle. For most of his life, he worked as a card dealer and pit supervisor in the Seattle/Tukwila/Tacoma area. He was very good at his profession, and he made many life-long friends during this time. For enjoyment, John liked to play cards of any type, was an avid reader, and liked to do crossword puzzles. John is survived by his daughter, Loma (Vince) Vandemolegraaf of Sammamish; sister Karen (Robert) Silveus of Tacoma, 2 brothers, Galen and Farren Welty of Yakima, and numerous extended family and friends. He was preceded in death by his brother, Richard Welty, and his parents, Fred and Neva Welty. Graveside services will be at 3 pm, Friday, September 2, 2011, at Tahoma National Cemetery, 18600 SE 240th St., Kent, Washington.