Family to dedicate ball field in honor of son

George C. Welker Jr. was taught there was nothing he couldn’t do.

By D.A. WILKINSON

VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU

NEW WATERFORD — The spirit of an athlete who battled cystic fibrosis lives on.

At noon on Memorial Day, the family of George C. Welker Jr. will dedicate the new field at Abundant Life Fellowship, 46469 state Route 46, in his name and memory.

George loved playing with children, especially his nephews, and playing sports. He spent as much time as he could doing both before his death in 2001 at age 32.

Welker was a Vindicator sportswriter who wrote about his lifelong battle with the birth defect that clogged his lungs, his fruitless wait for cadaveric lung transplants, and his two separate lobe transplant operations from three living donors.

But he died after a viral attack that followed his operations. His sister, Sherry, the oldest of three siblings, died of CF before transplants were common.

An active participant

Before his operations, he sang in the church’s choir and often sang solos.

He also skied, went canoeing, swimming, bowling and played golf, basketball and, of course, baseball.

“He went out for sports when he was 8,” said his mother, Betty, of Columbiana.

She and her husband, George, told him there was nothing he couldn’t do.

The one exception, Betty said, was that he could not go out for football, which was based on his slight build, not CF.

“I pictured him at the bottom of the pile,” Betty said.

George said he had taught his son, “Always be as good as you can do.”

His son excelled at many sports, but credited God with helping him do it. The sign at the field will refer to George’s favorite Scripture, Isaiah 40:31:

“But they that wait upon the LORD

shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings as eagles

they shall run, and not be weary;

and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Another dedication

There’s a tree at the church dedicated to the late Bill Arn, who reached many people with his faith.

“A tree was not George,” said his sister, Kim Linhart of Columbiana.

George played with, but was also a role model for her three sons, Bryan, Kevin and Matthew Fay.

Abundant Life, Betty added, “was his family, and he loved it here.”

Shortly after George’s death, Pauline Stevenson, a pastor at the church, had a vision of adding the field that would draw people to the church.

And people are coming.

Donald Stevenson, the pastor of Abundant Life, said the message may be, “Let’s play ball.”

He noted how few people are honored, such as George and Arn, and how many people are affected by their lives.

Drawing many

The field is being used by kids and adults from area churches who formed leagues.

One of the players is Steve Wellman of Columbiana, who gave part of a lung in an effort to save George.

“George loved sports,” said Wellman, who urged other members of his church to get involved in the ballgames.

“It’s fun,” Wellman said.

Ray DePofi of Grove City was born with chronic kidney problems and curvature of the spine. He met George when they attended Robert Morris College, and DePofi eventually joined Abundant Life.

“You need your fellowship and you need your friends. We became friends and had our fellowship here,” DePofi said. “I’m sure he would have realized the importance of fellowship and community.”

DePofi added that he recently stopped at a store and saw Ohio State University baseball caps just like one George wore. DePofi bought the cap.

Betty said, “One thing that may be the last piece of George’s story is that he wanted to be involved as a participant.”

wilkinson@vindy.com