NWA Capt. Raymond Dan Welker

~ IN MEMORY ~

Military veteran, NWA Capt. Ray Welker

September 28, 1932  ~ December 3, 2019

Just received….notice with the passing of RNPA member retired Northwest pilot Captain Raymond Dan Welker, age 87.  Please see information below.  Captain Welker’s obituary is also available online at   http://sunlakessplash.com/in-passing-53/ 

For those wishing to send a personal note, the family’s mailing address is listed in whitepages as

17143 133rd Ave NE Apt 260 ,  Woodinville, WA 98072.

At his request, there were no services.

Thank you,

~ Carol for the PCN 

From: William Day <wlday@comcast.net>
Sent: Friday, March 13, 2020 11:26 AM
Subject: NWA Captain Ray Welker

With profound respect I must inform you that NWA Captain Ray Welker, age 87 passed away on December 3, 2019. Ray was born on Sept 28, 1932 in Lumberton, NC to Dan and Katherine Welker. He grew up in Lumberton and studied Electrical Engineering at North Carolina State University for three years before entering the Naval Aviation Cadet Program. Ray served for four and a half years active duty stationed much of that time at Beeville, Texas.

He left the Navy in 1958 to go to work for Northwest Orient Airlines on May 23, 1958. During his 34 year airline career Ray was based in Minneapolis, Honolulu, and Seattle. He was type rated on the Boeing 707/B720, B727, B747 (classic), and McDonald Douglas DC-10. In September 1992 he reached mandatory retirement and thereafter moved to Sun Lakes, AZ, where he resided until his final move to Woodinville, WA in 2019.

In 1959, during his early years working for NWA, he met and married his first wife Sandra Long. Their marriage produced three children; Andrea, Greg, and Melissa. Ray was divorced from Sandra in the late ‘70s. In 1980 he married Lois Groesbeck. Lois was his golf and bridge partner for 39 years.

During his free time Ray enjoyed boating, fishing, and golf, but his true passion was being a pilot.

Ray is survived by his wife Lois; his half-sister Jill Englebretson; his three children Andrea Welker; Greg Welker, and Melissa Matkin and four step-children: Teale Groesbeck, Cindy Crivelli, Kelie Groesbeck, and Paul Groesbeck; 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

With respect and gratitude for time shared in the cockpit with Ray,

Bill Day