Richard Welser

Dr. Richard Welser, 76, of Morganton passed away on Wednesday, October 15, 2025 at Transylvania Medical Center following a period of declining health.

Richard is honored in memory by his son, Evan Welser, and by family and the many friends he made along the way. Richard had a storied and colorful life, with the analytical mind of Nikola Tesla and the heart of a nomad. Moving from his birthplace in Ohio to his beloved Santa Fe as a young student, he told stories of the mystic winds and his precarious travels in the high desert on one of the several motorcycles or cars he built or repaired. He had a penchant for Austin Healys, parts of which traveled with him across the Midwest as he used bungee cords to fasten sections, some of which are probably resting in gullies along I-70 to this day. Though loosely tethered to societal expectations, Richard was brilliant, and he found a home in the psychology department at Southern Illinois University, where he was both researcher and clinician, eventually completing his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. It is there that he married and decided to relocate closer to family in Ohio, and where his son Evan was born. They lasted a year in Ohio, as the winter weather was familiar and brutal, and Richard yearned for a warmer climate and native culture. He settled in Morganton, NC, where he worked and made friends at Broughton Hospital, and started several private practices. He served his community and he was committed to social justice and freedom from oppression. Richard was strong, not only in his stance but in his convictions. He was also a lover of animals and nature, and his care for creatures “both great and small” strengthened and broadened with time.

Richard is preceded in death by his parents, Anne and Howard Welser, and his sisters, Kathy Bowen and Esther Kaplan.

He is survived by his brother Howard Theodore, his beloved son Evan, his nieces and nephews, and extended family and friends who honor his memory.

A memorial service will be held at a later date.

Heritage Funeral Service and Crematory in Valdese is assisting the family.