Page created by: Carleigh Welsh

It is with immeasurable sadness that we announce the passing of Brian Owen Welsh. Brian passed away peacefully on December 12, 2020 with his wife and daughter at his side.

Brian is survived by his wife Freda Welsh (née Doran) and daughter Carleigh Welsh; his brothers and sisters: Ned, Sue, Tara, Brenda, and Kevin Welsh; his nieces and nephews: Ned Michael, Christina, John Francis, Kieron, Kelly, Kevin Patrick, Katie, Joe, Casey, Kealan, Marco, Edward, Jordan, Christian, Alexander, Saoirse, Cianan, Allie, Hailey, and Ciarán. Brian will be missed and his memory will be treasured by them as well as legions of friends and fans, colleagues and clients, and the innumerable people whose lives he touched.

Brian was born on May 1, 1937 in Manhattan to Susan B. Swanton and Edward T. Welsh. He was acknowledged by all as his Mother’s Ray of Sunshine. By the time Brian was a teenager, his Mother and siblings had relocated to Los Angeles. It was there he would meet his future wife at an Irish Dance. As a son-in-law, Brian was devoted to his wife’s parents Eileen and Peter Doran.

Simply put: When Brian met Freda it was love at first sight. They were - and remain - inseparable. Their romance spanned the globe, spanned decades, and made fairy tales and Hollywood musicals pale in comparison. Later, when he became a father, he was the most loving and incredible Daddy ever.

Brian’s first career at Collier’s (a division of Macmillan) was defined by his rising star setting record after record - he was unsurpassed as a salesman, then field manager then regional manager. The position of National Trainer was created for him and with it he relocated with his family and in-laws back to the East Coast. Years later at a tribute dinner, his teams and colleagues celebrated him as a legend in his own time.

At a certain point, Brian, who always marched to the beat of his own drum, knew he wanted to build things. He forged a new career as founder and CEO of Brian Custom Fencing, which also reflected his love of design, drawing and his degree in engineering from LA City College. He was running BCF up until the time of his passing with his long-time foreman and friend Clement Lawrence.

Brian was an avid runner and completed two New York City Marathons, the first after training extensively for a year; the second after a marathon night of dancing at Regine’s nightclub (and after which he beat his personal record). Brian loved the dancefloor and it loved him. There was no rug he could not cut.

Brian loved the arts: music, dance, film, drawing, photography… He was a gifted visual artist and a sensational cartoonist. And he was a singular and inveterate prankster. He sported an alter ego known as “The Unknown Mustard” and had an utterly unique sense of humor. He loved to create and invent, to question, solve and think outside of the box. He loved travel but he could also transform any outing into an adventure.

He wrote a number of songs, one of which “I Want You Back” (which is about and dedicated to his beloved Mother aka “Gigi” / “Sweet Sue”) made its live debut in 2019 at the Levitt Pavilion in Westport performed by Gunsmoke. He’d championed the Levitt Pavilion in countless ways - from setting up thousands of chairs for benefit events to selling thousands of raffle tickets, and doing so much more.

Brian also loved to sing. His ever-expanding repertoire included “[They Tried to Tell Us We’re] Too Young” and “It’s a Lovely Day Today”. The latest song he was making his own was “I’ll Be Seeing You”.

At the age of 78, he became the informal captain of his “Boxing for PD" club established and run by his friend Dr. Josh Lander. Brian had always loved boxing as a sport and it turned out he also had a knack for it. Brian was still looking for someone who might be interested in sponsoring a silver fox middle-weight.

A note on his Parkinson’s. Brian received his diagnosis circa 2006. He continued to work and remain active through the end of his life. He had an incredible team of doctors and specialists, anchored by Drs Robert Altbaum, Bahman Jabbari, Amar Patel, and Josh Lander, all of whom Brian treasured and who in turn admired his resolve and resilience.

Over the years, Brian’s many nicknames included “The Man of Action” and “Marathon Man” and most recently “Miracle Man”. Brian had a setback last September and he had made an against-all-odds Herculean recovery (also thanks to an incredible team at Gaylord in Wallingford) and he was able to walk across his own threshold when he returned home this past February where he continued to stay safe and get stronger every day. Even on his last day here, he was as vibrant as ever, enjoying life with a wit and mind that were both breathtakingly sharp.

He’d come across this saying in the PD community that he thought bore repeating: “If you have met one person with Parkinson's, you've met one person with Parkinson's.” So… always remember to see the person, not their PD.

Brian had no immediate plans to die. Rather he had plans for the holidays, the new year and beyond - including but not limited to getting the Coronavirus vaccine, writing a new song, submitting a story pitch to The Moth, shooting his next game of pool, and learning Spanish.

His adventures and achievements are legendary. Brian was lion-hearted, creative, brilliant, brave, generous, dashing, funny, compassionate and always an inspiration. His mentorship changed lives. He held his family dear. His love for his wife and daughter was monumental. As a husband and father, he could not have been more devoted.

He will be missed every day.

But as Brian would say: Bye for now.