Roll Call Tribute

Roger Glen Welsch 

July 26, 1934 - May 24, 2025 

Roger Glen Welsch, 90, passed peacefully on May 24, 2025 in Austin, TX.

He was born July 26, 1934, to Hanno Fritz Welsch, Sr and Eva (Schultze) Welsch in New Braunfels, TX. He was preceded in death by wife Mary Lee (Jubela) Welsch in 2017.

Roger is survived by his daughter Marla (Welsch) Hodgson (Marvin), son Ryan G Welsch (Chase Schulte), grandson Zachary R Hodgson and brother Fritz Welsch.

After completing a degree in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M College in 1959, Roger Welsch built a 38-year career with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), rising from an entry-level surveyor in the 1950s to the upper echelons of the agency.

One of Welsch’s most noted contributions was his involvement in an innovative bridge project near Corpus Christi. While serving as Construction Engineer in the Corpus district, Welsch oversaw the construction of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Causeway, which connected Padre Island to the mainland. This project was groundbreaking – the JFK Causeway (completed in the early 1970s) was the first precast, post-tensioned concrete segmental box-girder bridge in the United States.

His leadership and field experience led to his promotion as Deputy Director for Field Operations in Austin. In this capacity, he oversaw all TxDOT district activities and acted as a key decision-maker on major projects and policies.

Upon retiring from TxDOT in the mid-1990s, Roger became involved with the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Texas, serving in an advisory capacity for several years.

Visitation will be Thursday, May 29, 2025 from 4pm to 8pm at Doeppenschmidt Funeral Home in New Braunfels, TX. Cemetery service will be held at Guadalupe Valley Memorial Park in New Braunfels, TX on Friday, May 30, 2025 at 11am.

Special thanks to the caregivers at The Legacy at Oak Hill and Magnolia Hospice Care.