SHEFFIELD, Mass. — Katherine Jill Welch, 77, of Sheffield, Mass., died February 23, 2020, at Fairview Commons in Great Barrington, where she had resided since October.

Jill was born December 28, 1943, in Canaan, Conn. She was one of 11 children born to William and Dorothy (Hoffman) Hickey of Salisbury, CT.

Jill married the love of her life, George Welch, on February 14, 1962, in Richmond, Mass. They had just celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary on Valentine's Day.

Jill was devoted to her entire family and was considered a homemaker but did enjoy the years that she worked in the cafeteria at Mt. Everett Regional High school in Sheffield, Mass.

Jill was either in her kitchen cooking the wonderful meals she made or in her gardens growing vegetables and garlic with her husband that they would preserve together. She also enjoyed fishing, whether it be ice fishing in Oxbow, N.Y., where they lived for many years or salmon fishing on their boat, the "Katherine J," at their camp on Lake Ontario. They both enjoyed vacationing in Eleuthera, Bahamas, in the winter months. She loved standing on the sidelines, sitting on the bleachers or bundled up in blankets sitting on the hill watching her grandsons participate in their sports.

Jill is survived by her loving husband, George of Sheffield, Mass.; daughter Linda Lawrence of Great Barrington, Mass.; son James Welch of Stockbridge, Mass.; grandchildren Will Lawrence and his wife Amanda of Becket, Mass., and Andrew Lawrence of Great Barrington, Mass.; great-granddaughters Lily, Azalea, Cleome and Daphne; her brother James Hickey; sisters Joan McBride, Donna Porter, Susie Poglitsch, Dottie Hurt and Debbie Sharkey; and several cousins, nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her brothers, William, John, Richard, and Michael; and her son-in-law Donald Lawrence Jr.

Funeral notice: Family will receive family and friends on Saturday, March 7, 2020, from noon to 2 p.m. with a service at 2 p.m. at Finnerty & Stevens Funeral Home in Great Barrington.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Hospice Care of the Berkshires c/o Finnerty & Stevens Funeral Home, 426 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230.  To send remembrances to her family please go to www.finnertyandstevens.com

The family would like to thank Hospice Care of The Berkshires for their wonderful care of Jill. A special thanks to Dr. Sean Mullally, Billie Jo, the nurses and staff of The Cancer Center of The Berkshires. Huge thanks to the staff of Unit 3 at Fairview Commons, and a special thanks to Rebecca, Abdoulie, Jaclynn, Lynn, Danielle, Courtney and Clarence, who treated her as one of their own family members.