COHOES William Lee Welch, 69, died peacefully Friday, Mar. 20, 2020 at his residence surrounded by family. Born in Cohoes, Lee was the son of the late William and Doris Rate Welch. He graduated from Cohoes High School in 1968 and enlisted in the US Air Force where he received his Flight Engineer Instructor Certification. He served honorably for 20 years as a Flight Engineer until retiring from the 109th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard in 1989 with the rank of Sergeant Major. He then went on to work for the City of Cohoes, the Albany County Nursing Home, Smith’s Restaurant and finally for the Cohoes Community Center. The discipline and patriotism Lee learned in the military never left him and translated into many of his personal endeavors. He was a proud member and Past Commander of the E.T. Ruane American Legion Post, a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Cohoes-Waterford Elks Lodge #1317. For nearly two decades, Lee served as Chairman of the Cohoes Memorial Day Parade. He is survived by his wife, Kathleen Mayo; by his children, Richard W. Welch and Tricia L. VanDenburgh and by his grandchildren, Noah A. VanDenburgh and Kristopher A. VanDenburgh. He is also survived by his aunt, Joan Rate, his brother-in-law Bill Mayo, sister-in-law, Colleen Mayo as well as several nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his sisters, Mary Ellen Dommer and Linda Maylath. The family wishes to thank the kind-hearted nurses, doctors, clinical care coordination, interventional radiology and other staff of Samaritan Hospital, along with Dr. William Robinson, Jr., Dr. David Mitola and the staff of Community Hospice for their care and compassion. Memorial contributions may be made to the Community Hospice Foundation, 310 S. Manning Blvd. Albany, NY 12208.