Justice Thomas M. Welch 1939-2025

Thomas Mathew Welch, 86, of Collinsville, IL, passed away peacefully on July 7, 2025, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital with his beloved and devoted wife Cindy (Lapicola) Welch of 55 years by his side.

Tom was born on February 28, 1939, to Mathew and Elizabeth (Adams) Welch in St. Louis, MO and is survived by his older sister Lois (Welch) Metzger and younger brother Paul Welch. A Collinsville native, Tom graduated from Collinsville High School in 1957 and went on to attend the University of Illinois. There he was a proud member of Delta Chi and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Administration. Following his time in Champaign-Urbana, Tom earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Missouri.

Tom served as a Circuit Court Magistrate from 1965 to 1971, Madison County Assistant State's Attorney from 1971 to 1972, and attorney for the City of Collinsville. He practiced law as a partner with the firm of Welch, Welch and Welch from 1971 until his election to the Fifth District Appellate Court in 1980, a position which he held until his passing, making him the longest-serving Appellate Court Justice in Illinois' history. He was also a member of the Illinois, Madison County, and Tri-City Bar Associations.

In 1970, Tom and Cindy were married and went on to have three children, Catherine (Welch) Hunter, Carrie (Welch) Stith and Thomas Mathew Welch II. He is survived by his wife, children, and his six grandchildren, Elizabeth and Laney Hunter, Henley and Blake Stith, and Gemma and Isabel Welch; all of whom he cherished deeply.

Tom lived a wonderful life surrounded by great family and friends, and one in which he pursued his many passions vehemently. An automobile "enthusiast" to say the least, Tom's first car was a 1925 Ford Model T that he rebuilt himself at the age of 15. Later he would be a founding member of Collinsville's first hot-rod club, The Road Saints, and subsequently, the St. Louis chapter of the Ferrari Club in 1972.

When Tom was not practicing law, or in the garage restoring classic cars, he could also be found piloting his Cessna 182 around the Midwest with friends.
Philanthropically, Tom was a trustee of the Tomara Corporation, a private foundation that provides financial support to community groups and other charitable organizations, along with scholarships to local students.

But regardless of his pursuits, Tom loved nothing more than to make people laugh and had a wonderful sense of humor. He was generous with his time and would help anyone he could - be that with career or legal advice or fixing anyone's car in need of a repair. He was as they say, "cut from a different cloth". Genuine and with an unmatched work ethic, Tom led by example. We will be forever grateful to have known him, loved him, learned from him, and laughed with him for as long as he was here...

Visitation services will be held at Sunset Hill Funeral Home located at 50 Fountain Drive in Glen Carbon, IL on July 21st from 4pm – 8pm followed by ceremonial and burial services at the same location beginning at 10am on July 22nd. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Bill Metzger Scholarship Fund of the Collinsville Area Community Foundation, an organization co-founded by Tom's late nephew, William Mathew Metzger. The fund provides college scholarships to Collinsville High School graduates.

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