Kaye Welsh Sexton

Kaye Welsh Sexton died in Midland, Texas on Tuesday, June 14, at the age of 66. She was born June 22, 1944, in Lexington, Kentucky, to George B. Welsh, Jr. and Doris R. Welsh. A memorial service is scheduled for 3:00 P.M. Saturday, June 18, 2011, in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church of Midland. Dr. Steve Schorr will officiate.

Kaye held a B.A. with Highest Honors from The University of Texas, an M.A. from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Houston. She practiced law in Orange and Beaumont, Texas, before returning to teaching.

She taught at Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School while living in Orange, before moving to Midland, where she taught AP senior English at Midland High School from 2001 until her retirement in 2009. Kaye served as English department chair in Mauriceville, and soon after beginning at Midland High won Teacher of the Year. She was full of school spirit and was an integral part of the MHS family.

Kaye’s quick wit and quirky sense of humor endeared her to students and faculty alike. She was a master teacher who quickly became a mentor for the entire faculty. In her many roles as mother, daughter, sister, friend, mentor, author, and teacher, she has touched and inspired the lives of hundreds.

In recent months, friends and former students have been able to read Kaye's alien stories and respond to her on Facebook. Mrs. Sexton would like her students to know that she is not gone; she has only returned to the mother ship...still 1,042 years old. As she was fond of saying, "That may be absurd, but . . . it's all good."

While her sense of humor may have startled some, Kaye’s Christian faith was steadfast. She was an elder in The Presbyterian Church serving her congregation in Orange and a source of strength in troubled times for her friends and family. Among her many accomplishments is that of published author. Her memoir Not Just Another Mother’s Son is a moving account of the life and tragic death of her beloved son, Scott. A tirelessly devoted mother, Kaye transferred that nurturing spirit to her friends after Scott’s passing. She was a matchless friend, and she will be sorely missed.

Kaye was predeceased by her father, George B. Welsh, Jr., of Midland, and her son, Scott William Sexton, of Houston.

She is survived by her mother, Doris R. Welsh, her brother, James B. Welsh, M.D. and wife Juanice, all of Midland; and two nephews, Christopher B. Welsh, J.D., and wife Lorin of Dallas, and Brian D. Welsh, M.D., of Johnson City, Tennessee.

At her request, her body was cremated and her ashes spread in the wilds of West Texas. She said that when the sand blew, everybody could say, "There goes Kaye." She rests in peace and is again with her son.

Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home and Crematory of Midland. Online condolences may be made at: http://www.npwelch.com.

Kaye requested that donations be made to St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, Development Office, P.O. Box 20269 (mail code 3-206), Houston, Texas 77225. These donations are in honor of their treatment of her son Scott. Kaye has requested the funds be used for bi-polar care and the residents at the hospital for their compassion.