James A. "Chef" Welch, age 52, of Wilson Ridge Road, Boone, passed away Monday afternoon, May 22, 2017, at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem.

James is survived by two daughters, Melissa Welch and DeAnna Welch, both of Jacksonville, Florida; his fiancee, Wendy V. Oliver of Boone; his mother and father, Mae Coward Parker and Charlie Parker of Blanch, North Carolina; his maternal grandmother, Mary Frances Parker of Greensboro; one sister, Debbie Welch of Greensboro; one brother, Buck Matthews of Climax, North Carolina; his aunt, Jean Toler and husband Larry of Greensboro; two nieces, Tiffany Oldham and Rebecca Oldham, both of Greensboro, and a cousin, Pinky Toler of Greensboro.

https://www.hamptonfuneralnc.com/obituary/4243806