John Andrew Welhan

John Andrew Welhan, son of Daniel and Anne Welhan, was born on Aug. 24, 1950, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. As a child he enjoyed fishing and camping trips. His parents wanted him to become a dentist, but he was drawn to the wonders of the great outdoors and discovered a life-long passion for geology.

John completed his education at Univ. of Manitoba; Univ. of Waterloo, Ontario; and received a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from Scripps Institute of Oceanography. He taught in the Geology Dept. at Memorial Univ. in St. John's, Newfoundland, from 1984-1990. For 26 years he served as a research scientist with the Idaho Geological Survey at Idaho State University, a position that brought him joy and professional fulfillment, until his retirement in 2016.

He married the love of his life, Martha Ann Nelson, on July 1, 1978, in San Diego, CA. He is survived by his sister, Carol Welhan of British Columbia; his children, Manuel J. Welhan of Moscow, ID; and Lydia C. Tamara; son-in-law, George Tamara; grandchildren, Sofia and Luke Tamara of Huntington Beach, CA.

John was very creative and artistic. He loved teaching students, reading novels, and watching romantic comedies. He enjoyed creative writing, and wrote a work of fiction which he self-published in 2019. He also enjoyed playing the guitar, piano, and singing. But nothing made him happier than spending time with his family: making them laugh, sharing ideas, and providing all he could in their time of need. He loved his family more than anything.

Memorial service will be held on Dec. 13, 1 p.m. at St. Anthony's Catholic Church, 524 North 7th Ave., Pocatello, ID 83201.

John will always be held in our hearts for the love and devotion he showed his family and friends.

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