Della Mae Welch

Della Mae Welch peacefully passed away on June 10, 2026 at the age of 78 in Orange County, California. Born on June 15, 1947, in San Diego, California, Della was the daughter of Robert Eugene Peterson (1915-2002) and Tressa Anola Jones (1922-1949). She was preceded in death by her parents, younger sister Brenda (1949-2025), first husband Robert Marshall Welch (1932-2009), and daughter Roberta Mae Welch (1973-2026). Della is survived by her second husband, Alan Lee Burke, who is 83 years old. She is also survived by five children (and their spouses): Teresa (DeAnna Worthington), Benjamin (Lorellee), Joseph (Jennifer), Justin (Becky), and Brigham (Emily). Left to cherish Della’s memory are a loving group of children, grandchildren, stepchildren, in-laws, extended family, and many dear friends.

Della’s mother Tressa passed away on Christmas Day in 1949 due to complications during labor with Della’s younger sister Brenda. Della was just two and a half years old. Fortunately, Brenda survived and she and Della were both adopted by family living in Utah. Della grew up on a small farm in Spanish Fork, Utah, where she was raised by her aunt and uncle, Norvel and Zelpha Dayton. Della’s cousins loved her like a sibling. Della often reminisced about her life on the farm, recalling the strict responsibilities and schedules, as well as her immense joy when feeding her animal friends and running in the pastures. Music was also Della’s passion, and she learned to play the trumpet in high school. She performed Trumpeters Lullaby with her school band for the dedication of the new high school auditorium, and she played in the orchestra pit for the high school’s production of South Pacific. Della was an excellent student, a speed typist, and an expert in shorthand dictation. She graduated valedictorian from Spanish Fork High School.

Della pursued higher education at many universities, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Brigham Young University, a Master’s degree in Education from California State University Los Angeles, a Doctorate degree in Education from the University of Utah, a Juris Doctor degree from Western State University (where she was one of only three female students and graduated magna cum laude and valedictorian), and an MBA from the University of Redlands. Della always displayed grit and determination in reaching her educational goals, as several of these degrees were earned by attending night school classes.

Della, a distinguished attorney, passed the California and Utah bar exams. She practiced law as a Deputy County Attorney in Orange County and as an Assistant Attorney General in Utah. Her exceptional legal skills earned her numerous awards, including being ranked among the top 1% of her peers at State Compensation Insurance Fund, where she worked for many years and was promoted to be a supervisor. Della also loved teaching. Over several decades, Della taught business and law college classes to thousands of students at various universities, including Dixie College, Cal Poly Pomona, University of LaVerne, University of Phoenix, DeVry, and Weber State University. Her students highly regarded her as a beloved professor, and she was known for her exceptional evaluations. Della firmly believed that anyone could excel in law school by diligently reviewing and memorizing fundamental concepts— “just hit rewind on the legal tapes” she told her students and anyone else who would listen. She applied this philosophy throughout her life, diligently learning new things like speaking Russian or as a student of Chinese medicine who thoroughly enjoyed visiting China.

Della’s greatest joys were her family. During Della’s junior year at BYU she went to a church dance where she met Robert Marshall Welch, an Electrical Engineer from Pasadena CA. Soon after, on August 1969, Della and Bob were married and sealed in the Salt Lake Temple by an apostle and family friend, Elder Howard W. Hunter. Della often expressed how Bob was her greatest cheerleader, and she always cherished his unwavering support. Della and Bob were blessed with seven children, including one who passed away in stillbirth, and another, Roberta, who unexpectedly passed away earlier this year. Della and Bob insisted that all of their children learn music, and Della enjoyed supervising music practice and attending music lessons. Della also emphasized the importance of education to her children and grandchildren, and she was happy and proud of their educational successes.

After Bob’s passing in 2009, Della married Alan Lee Burke in 2012. Della and Alan spent fourteen enjoyable years living in Southern California. They together enjoyed visiting with family, attending church events, watching football, and rooting for the Dodgers.

Della delighted in serving her family, church, colleagues, and friends. She did so cheerfully and energetically with pneumonics and catchy phrases, like “the three Ds” for any task—"do it, drop it, or delegate it.” Della often referred to herself as a “Dellagator.” Recently, she had the pleasure of living with Joseph and Jennifer, along with their seven children. Della cherished the opportunity to learn about everyone’s lives, to offer unsolicited dating advice, and to cuddle her adorable grandkids.

Della often reflected on the trajectory of her life, from her small-town farm girl beginnings to her educational, occupational, and family endeavors. She believed on a daily basis that “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13). Throughout her life, Della displayed a resilience to hardships and a constant striving to learn. She will be deeply missed by everyone who had the privilege of knowing and loving her.

A funeral service will be held for Della at 10:00 am on Friday, June 19, 2026 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel located at 5353 Bryan Avenue in Irvine. A zoom link for those wishing to attend remotely will be available. There will be a viewing at 9:15 am and concluding at 9:45 am. Interment will be the following week in Lake Elsinore.