William "Pete" Welch Jr.

William A. "Pete" Welch Jr. died in Baltimore on 11 October 2026 at the age of 73, according to March Funeral Homes - West Baltimore. His daughter Tiffany Welch announced the death and said it was sudden; she did not specify a cause. The Baltimore Banner published an obituary on 15 October 2026 quoting colleagues and friends.

William A. Welch Jr., known as Pete, was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on 14 May 1953. He attended Loyola High School and Loyola College, where he earned a B.A. in accounting, according to his Maryland State Archives biography.

He was the son of Agnes B. Welch, who represented Baltimore's 9th District on the City Council for 27 years. From 1989 until her retirement in December 2010 he worked as her legislative aide, learning ward politics and constituent service from inside the same office he would later hold.

Welch practised as an accountant and served on the Baltimore Board of Liquor License Commissioners from 1997 to 2003. After Agnes Welch retired, the City Council appointed him to District 9 on 10 January 2011; he was elected to a full term that November and served until December 2016.

On the council he sat on Policy and Planning; Taxation, Finance and Economic Development; Education and Youth; Health; Housing and Community Development; and Urban Affairs and Aging. He chaired the Executive Appointments Committee from 2014 to 2016. He spoke publicly about vocational programs for young adults and unemployed residents. In the 2016 Democratic primary he lost to Towson University professor John Bullock, who still held the seat at the time of Welch's death.

His path to the council was contested. In 2000 he pleaded guilty to handgun violations and second-degree assault after firing a gun during a dispute with poll workers; in 2004 he pleaded guilty to failing to file finance reports as treasurer for his mother's campaign. He told colleagues he was a different person and was appointed 10-3.

Welch was a lifelong Baltimorean known for stylish bow ties. Friend Bob Cockey called him small in stature but very energetic, like his mother, and said he did not care about the party or race of people he met. Former Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said seeing him always put a smile on her face and that she admired his devotion to his family and his city.

His daughter Tiffany Welch, who has run for state delegate, announced his death and asked for privacy. Over the decade after leaving office he worked with former council colleague Carl Stokes to raise money for students whose families could not afford their tuition; Stokes said their last collaboration was helping elect Tiffany to the Maryland House of Delegates. He also sat on boards including the Leon Day Foundation and Tuerk House.

Welch is remembered as a West Baltimore councilman who continued a family tradition of District 9 service begun by Agnes Welch, and as a mentor who opened political doors for younger Democrats. Tributes from Jack Young, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Carl Stokes stressed dependability, faith and constituent work. His public record also includes the controversies that surrounded his 2011 appointment, which he addressed by asking that his later work speak for him.