Forever In Our Hearts
Richard Welty, beloved husband, father, brother, son and fearless leader to many, passed away unexpectedly on July 21, 2021. He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Lorraine Welty, and their two children, Michael and Evelyn. In addition to his father, two brothers, sister, and other family members, his legacy lives on through his company, Raintree Systems - which will continue to pursue his passion of bridging the gap between technology and real human connection.
His appetite for adventure and adrenaline was large. He loved being outdoors, whether it be motorcycle riding, biking, playing frisbee golf, hiking, sitting by the pool on business calls or blowing things up in the yard, Richard was always up to trying new things, and cherished spending time with his family and friends. He was a lifelong learner and continually pursued the thought of a world where everyone would embrace anyone for who they are.
On behalf of the Welty family, we want to thank you all for being here today to honor Richard’s memory. It comforts us to know that he had such an impact on so many of you, and that even though he may be gone, his efforts to unite us all will not be forgotten or in vain. We will always remember his unique humor, limitless generosity and disarming authenticity that made his personality so very special.
To read the full obituary, please click the link below.
https://www.flipsnack.com/raintreesystems/rw-obiturary-2.html
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About |
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| Name | Richard Vance Welty |
| Date of Birth | April 29th, 1964 |
| Date of Death | July 21st, 2021 |
| Home Town | Cerritos, CA, US |
| Other City | Temecula, CA, US |
| Interests | motorcycles, podcasts, Jack White, technology, classical music, Simon Sinek, Hawaii |
| Favourite Saying | Sharpen and level! |
| In Memoriam Donation | Tyler Hudson Sonshine Foundation |
| In Memoriam Donation | National Suicide Prevention Line |
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Family |
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| Significant Other | Lorraine Welty |
| Siblings | David Welty, Marlene Shaw, Stephen Welty |
| Parents | Candice Welty, Dick Welty |
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published a tribute .
Richard was a warm, compassionate and vibrant figure in my life. He was a family member, friend, a father-like figure for me. I have shared so many things with him which I have even not shared with my family. The relationship we had cannot be put in words. It started from the interview in a pool where he just asked me to hold his hand and believe in him, to visit India for the first time ever at my wedding and every special occasion of our life. I still remember hiking walks with him & Michael around his house, making coffee for my father when he first visited the office, playing disc golf, getting his full gang(Steve, Michael) to help us move, and many more.
Those golden 11 years with him will always live with me.
We love you, Richard! Your enthusiasm, energy, and sense of no fear will stay with us and will make you proud.
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published a tribute .
Richard was a really great and inspiring person. I met him at one of the outings with Raintree India family. He was a true leader and he always used to take care of each and every employee as his own children. You will stay in our hearts forever ❤️
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published a tribute .
I'm a newbie here, but i just wanna say great leaders leave a legacy behind but Richard has left more than that he was such a wise and gentle person and has left such a big RT family behind along with his legacy. I love the high post people's who are down to Earth, he was one such and i have one thinking, people leave but they leave parts of them in people with whom they have lived around, so you have him in all of us in some or other way, and mostly in yourself.
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published a tribute .
Richard was like a guide, mentor, friend and at times like a father. I feel fortunate that I started my career under him and have worked closely with him. There are many memories from the last 12 years I have known him.
When I joined Raintree, I didn’t know many people in Temecula. Lorraine and Richard didn’t let me feel that I am away from my family. Richard always invited me to his place for movie nights, dinners, Thanksgiving with his family at Steve's place or whatever fun he is doing on weekends. I am very grateful for all the time I was able to spend with him and Welty family.
One of the incidents during my very early days at Temecula office when I learned how down to earth and helpful he is, I was walking out of office on Friday evening I noticed my car had a flat tire, at that time I didn’t know how to change a spare tire, not only he helped change the tire but also offered to show me how to fix puncture of the tire if I come next day at his home. I was already feeling grateful and also guilty at the same time of using help from a CEO, coming from India I have never imagined this as I never saw anyone changing their car tires on their own and here a company's CEO was helping me with a flat tire.
Richard was always very encouraging to everyone to try and learn new things, he introduced me to dirt biking, quads, racquetball and racquetball became my favorite sport. Richard, Steve and I used to play a lot after work and had a lot of fun, good exercise and healthy competition.
Richard had deep knowledge about a lot of topics, I will miss having conversations with him about different topics, our work calls talking in-depth about new work ideas and features. I will miss his views and opinions on any given problem.
I have learned a lot from him and his leadership skills. Richard will always be alive in my heart.
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published a tribute .
I met Richard in the first week of my joining and went on a company trip with him, he was so friendly and energetic. I still remember how he did pull-ups and we could not. His vision for Raintree is so deep and I still remember how he said Software as a relationship in company meetings. He was a great leader. Sending my condolences to Lorraine and the Welty Family.
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published a tribute .
I have learned a lot from you and hope to make the best use of your advice and guidance. Thank you for being such a wonderful boss. We will miss your encouragement that gave us the belief that everything is possible. You are just great, Your positive spirit is contagious to your people. I enjoyed working with you. We will miss your presence and leadership.
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published a tribute .
A Friend , Philosopher & Guide I have had the great fortune of knowing and working closely with Richard for last 9 years, even before the commencement of Raintree India office. He was arguably the best leader I worked with, humble, caring and so down to earth. In 2013 when Richard came to India and we all were flying to Estonia, he assured my mother that don't worry about Kriti, we will take care of her, this shows Richard's care about his employees and their family. I would never forget the fact that he travelled all the way from US to attend my wedding. His untimely demise has come as a shock to me. Richard, although you are gone but you would always remain in every Raintree employee’s heart.
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published a tribute .
From the bottom of my heart I will always be grateful to have known Richard. His enthusiasm for the small thing, the level of support he always showed me and my family, his curiosity for the world, his steadfast belief that this Raintree family is worth investing in. I have never met another CEO or boss that has been so invested in the people who work with him. I will miss every brainstorming session we had, the impromptu science experiments in beach bonfires, the talks about tin roofs on a rainy day. He made every interaction special and I am grateful to have known him and to be inspired by his leadership daily.
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published a tribute .
I have nothing but love and respect for Richard. It was amazing how he could have a conversation with a customer who may not be at the height of their satisfaction and by the end of that call everything seemed just fine again. He had that way with everyone and I will always remember this about him. I will remember his charisma, smile and love he had for all his Raintree family. He had such a kind heart and spirit to him we all will miss.
My heart is broken for Lorraine, Michael and Evelyn but know Julie and I will always be here for you. To his brothers and sister, Steven, David and Marlene know that we love you and will always be here for you as you are for us.
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published a tribute .
My relationship with Richard goes back over 30 years, and I have never known a more generous, level headed or forgiving man. Richard and Lorraine welcomed me into their family when I was newly divorced with 4 kids, and they have always made me feel that I was loved, trusted and needed in their family.
Richard has taught me to respect others’ opinions even when they didn't match my own. He taught me that there is truly unconditional love in this world when I was definitely skeptical. Richard, Lorraine and the whole Welty family treated me as an extension of their own family and for that I am grateful beyond measure. Richard will always be loved and missed.
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published a tribute .
It’s been less than a year since I joined Raintree, I want you to know that I am proud and honored to be the part of Raintree Family. I proudly shoutout to everybody that I love my Company and I have never worked anywhere else where we feel so loved and cared. I have never met or got a chance to talk to Richard but I always wanted to talk to him. He was a great leader, I have always admired him and will always be missed. I am Thankful to Richard and Lorraine for providing me with such a great work environment. We are in this together and will always stand by.
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published a tribute .
I’ve never in my life worked somewhere with owners as amazing as Richard and Lorraine. They are the most authentic and compassionate leaders, and I am so grateful for every moment spent with both of them. Richard would never ever hesitate to give any employee at Raintree his time, whether it was during working hours or personal. He cared for each of us deeply, no matter what level of position we were at. His positive energy, intelligence, vision, work ethic and compassion will be a part of each of us forever and will remain LONG after his physical presence is gone.
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published a tribute .
I’ll be eternally grateful to both Richard and Lorraine for seeing and viewing me a member of the Raintree “family” and for not only taking a chance on me, but allowing me to grow and contribute in my own small way.
However, going forward my most distinct memory will be of Richard’s infectious enthusiasm - it could be seen, heard and felt whether you were near or far. I’ve never met another human being with such a passion for his business and yet an innate ability to connect with people on a very human level. If you were on a call discussing an idea or possibility, you’d hear the sincere excitement in his voice and the instant “Oh, yeah yeah!.. “ It brings to mind the vision of a young kid shifting from foot to foot with excitement because they just can’t wait to show you their new toy.
Raintree was Richard’s long standing new toy and I’m excited to see what new iterations will take place as his legacy lives on.
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published a tribute .
Richard offered a passion like no other. I am honored to have known him, to have been given an opportunity to share his dream with others, and I will strive to let his light shine through me as I work side by side with the customers who have made his dreams come true. The legacy of Richard Welty will be known for years and years to come. I am so thankful that so many years ago, he turned an idea into reality. I am proud to be a part of the Raintree Family.
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published a tribute .
Here are some of my favorite parts of our relationship:
1) No matter how bad my joke would be, he would take it, expand on it, and make it into an actual funny joke.
2) One of the most powerful and integrity filled individuals, I loved his policy on always speak about a person as if they are in the room with you.
3) Probably the most intelligent person I've ever met, he knew more about every subject than I did, even subjects I felt knowledgeable about just prior to our discussion.
4) He was a huge part of my life and my world even though I suspect I was a very small part of his. I think he made everyone feel like that.
5) When I mess up in any way including damaging Richard's property somehow, he wouldn't lay any guilt on or make me feel bad. He would turn it into a joke and move forward.
6) He enjoyed the twist, loved making a common saying a little different to add in a touch of humor: "This drive through may be slow, but at least the food isn't very good"
Love you man.
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published a tribute .
I met Richard once but spoke to him several times. I was always so in awe with him. He cared so much about his employees and customers. Never made anyone feel any less than him. Heaven gained a beautiful Angel! I know he is looking over all of us right now. Prayers are with all the Welty family during this difficult time.
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published a tribute .
Though my interactions with Richard were limited, he has been a constant in my life since before I can remember. Richard and all of Welty's have been great friends of my mother, I have and always will consider them all as family. It has been invaluable to have a role model in my life with so much compassion, kindness and dedication to everyone in his life. It is amazing to see the miracles that he has he made a reality for so many in his life, even now, it is inspiring to see the impression that he left on every person he interacted with. His memory will live on forever in all of our hearts and minds. It is an understatement to say he will be missed.
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published a tribute .
I feel fortunate to have met Richard, even if it was only through Zoom. He was a beautiful person, very welcoming and I felt so comfortable reaching out to him to ask questions. He always had an “Open Door” Policy and it really was. I have never worked with a CEO that has been so down to earth, so caring about his employees and he genuinely cared about everyone. We have lost one of the greatest persons but Heaven has gained a GREAT Angel. My thoughts and prayers are with you Lorraine and the rest of the family. We are here to support you and your family during this difficult time.
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published a tribute .
You will keep inspiring me and lots of other folks as well. I always considered you as the thread holding the pearls of whole Raintree. You considered us as your children and sometimes as a friend as well. We drank beers (especially in the parking lot at Kriti's wedding), did rafting, you took care of our families too. You are a perfect example for coming generations that how a CEO should be. Just want to share some of my memories with you, when you prayed for the whole company at the holy river Ganges.
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published a tribute .
You raised two great families. We will remember you as the great leader, best boss, most loving and caring father, and role model for us all. I will always miss you standing by my side helping me fix my mistakes and sharing pizza with you below the office building. We will miss that you will not be there to guide us with your intellect and we won't be able to have open-heart conversations. However, the foundations you built still stand strong. We promise to grow as a family to be the best of your imagination and although you were the best architect, we will build upon your foundation with the knowledge you taught.
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published a tribute .
I am shocked and saddened to hear that Richard passed away so suddenly. That must be devastating news for the family and the entire company. I had the pleasure of spending time getting to know him and his keen sense of humor when I was there visiting a few years ago. You will all be in my thoughts and prayers as you move through this difficult time.
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published a tribute .
My personal nickname for Richard was the Tasmanian Devil. All you had to do was throw out an idea, a concept, or a problem, sit back and watch Tas start spinning and coming up with all sorts of amazing ways to try and meet the customer's needs. On the days where he would get really excited and passionate about an idea/concept I'd always laugh and say, Tas is sure spinning today!
https://gfycat.com/hastymistygalapagosdove
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published a tribute .
Such a great guy. He will be greatly missed. Always such a great guy to work with and be with. Take care.
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published a tribute .
This is so shocking and I am so sorry. Please send my love and condolences to everyone. I know you all were not just coworkers but family like we are here.
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published a tribute .
I'm so sorry to hear this.. Please accept our deepest sympathies. We are saddened to hear of such an integral loss in the Raintree family. Thinking of you all during this difficult time and sending peaceful thoughts your way.
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published a tribute .
I want to express my sincere condolences on the Raintree family's loss. I am sure you all have wonderful memories to sustain you and his contributions left are truly remarkable. I am so glad I got to meet him in Boston, 2019!
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published a tribute .
From the first time I met Richard, I was struck by his great passion for Raintree, its employees and customers. Most of all though was his shining pride in Raintree's technology and its ability to solve important healthcare problems, whether in physical therapy, behavioral health or other service lines. He was always so generous with his time and knowledge, including patiently educating me on the power of the low code platform. Richard was a man of great intellect, drive, humor and generosity, and I am blessed to have known him. Our community is diminished by his loss.
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published a tribute .
"Be the things you love most about the people who are gone."
Passionate, enthusiastic, inspiring, intelligent, genuine, down to earth, caring, kind – these are some of the words that come to mind when I think of Richard. I remember first meeting Richard and Lorraine 25 years ago and have admired these qualities in both of them ever since.
I love the story of Richard riding his bicycle (I believe he was in high school at the time) to Lorraine's house to show her he had successfully figured out the coding to print data in the correct HCFA insurance claim form boxes. To think of how far Raintree has come since then is absolutely inspiring. Every time I heard the excitement in Richard’s voice while discussing the product or a new idea he had, I would picture him jumping on his bicycle to tell Lorraine. When people ask me about my job I love to share that story and how grateful I am to work for such an amazing company whose owners are so passionate about their product and compassionate towards their employees.
My heart goes out to Lorraine, Dave, Steve, Marlene, and the entire Welty family. I love you all. May you find peace in knowing Richard's legacy lives on through the Raintree family.
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published a tribute .
Richard was always someone I looked up to and would always bring up when conversing with Family, Friends or even the Raintree Family. He always made me feel like my opinion mattered and that I was not just some bottom of the totem poll employee.
Just the other day, I received a memory on my Facebook talking about how my boss (Lorraine) and her Husband (CEO/Richard) were inviting me to dinner. The memory was from 10 years ago, when I had just started working for Raintree. I remember thinking how cool it was that the CEO of my company wanted me out of all people to come to dinner. I remember being so nervous about how to act or what we would talk about. But all of that nervousness went away as I sat there chatting with Richard and Lorraine.
Richard was such a great man and had such a brilliant mind. I loved listening to all of his ideas that would just pop up as we would speak about items from Clients.
I will miss all of our chats talking about random things like having our zoom number memorized (because we would key it into our phones 10+ times a day). Or just talking about family and kids.
Thank you Richard for all that you have taught me and the wisdom you have shared. You will forever be missed and we will continue to carry on your legacy.
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published a tribute .
I’ll always remember Richard for his genuine kindness, never ending enthusiasm and energy, amazing intelligence, passion for Raintree and the way he cared for his family and employees.
When I joined Raintree years ago, Richard and Lorraine invited me to their home. I remember thinking how down to earth and nice they were... Richard was so excited about showing us how to make a “Lego bomb” that would explode the lego blocks with a quick snap of a band. He showed me how to work it several times, so that I could take it back home and show it to my son. My son was so impressed and said, I had the coolest boss :)
Thinking back on all the topics that Richard would talk about, I’ve always wondered how did he manage having such diverse interests and be passionate about all of it.
Richard was so down to earth and approachable, it didn’t matter which position you were in, in the company or whether your question was major or minor, you knew you could always reach out to him for help.
Thank you Richard for all that you’ve taught us, and the inspiring example you’ve set for us. You will forever be remembered. My heart goes out to Lorraine, Steve, Dave, Marlene and the entire Welty family. My prayers are with you.
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published a tribute .
Sometimes Richard was like a father to us youngsters who just started in this company. I remember my first trip to the states when we visited Las Vegas and went to explore the city. Before he let us go he made sure we knew that we should not get into any strangers' car.
He had a great sense of humor. And when there was an opportunity to trick someone then he definitely used it. During that first trip we got his Honda cabriolet to use. And we drove by an orange field close to Welty's home. We stopped and took some pictures. We didn't notice that Jennifer saw us there and she told Richard that she saw us. Later that day at dinner Richard suddenly started talking that his neighbour had called him and accused him of stealing oranges because his car was noticed there. Of course it was just a joke and nobody called but he was so serious when he was talking about it so at first I personally was afraid indeed that we really are in trouble now.
He loved to trick Estonians with his driving manners as well. When there was time to have lunch or dinner and he went with his car separately he used to say "just follow me" and chose toughest routes to see if and how we can handle it. I believe that most of the time Estonians impressed him.
I think we all know how passionate he was about motor sport and how he took everyone to bike or quad driving. I remember how Lorraine told him that no racing before the conference because from time to time some smaller accidents happened but she needed everyone to be in shape at the conference. That was one of my favorite activities from the 2019 trip as well, driving with a quad. I had never done this before and Richard taught me. Later he said that at first he thought that maybe it is too hard for me to handle the quad for the first time and safer would be to drive on a straight road. But I still took tougher roads and he was proud of me that I was able to handle those.
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published a tribute .
My heart aches and goes out to the entire Raintree family with the news of Richard's passing. He was such an inspiration and always so helpful and a joy to work with. I remember fondly the interaction and problem solving sessions we had with him and how he was such a great leader and so involved with all the clients. He was approachable and had the heart to always want to help and make our work easier and more efficient. Sending my prayers and condolences to Lorraine and the entire Raintree family.
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published a tribute .
So sorry to hear of Richard's passing. I met him briefly a couple of times and he was a genuinely great guy. Please send condolences to his family and to all of Raintree from HealthQuest.
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published a tribute .
I am so sorry for the loss of Richard. I've only had the pleasure of working with him indirectly for 2 years and feel very sad. He was an inspirational leader that impacted our team which is way over on the east coast. We love his passion for innovation and drive to keep pushing forward with ideas and ways to make our lives easier. His light burned especially bright over the past 18 months throughout the COVID process. We felt supported and connected and each of us are very thankful for his leadership.
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published a tribute .
I wanted to reach out and let you know that our hearts are hurting for your loss. We are praying for you all in this time. Our sincere condolences from all of us at The Center <3
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published a tribute .
At my first conference, Richard said: "Non-technical people, once they get a taste of it, become technical people" and I keep that in my notebook.
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published a comment .
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