Obituaries

Jean Edward WelkerNASA Physicist

Jean Edward Welker, 72, who spent 50 years as a physicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, died Dec. 5 of heart disease at Washington Hospital Center. He lived in Laurel.

Mr. Welker was a specialist in examining climate patterns in Russia and Eastern Europe. He worked at NASA until his death.

He was born in Mineola, N.Y., and received bachelor's and master's degrees in physics from Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. He received a doctorate in history from the University of Maryland in the early 1990s.

He was a member of St. Louis Catholic Church in Clarksville and sang in the choir. He had also sung in the University of Maryland choir.

His wife of 23 years, Joan M. Welker, died in 2000.

Survivors include three children, Edward Welker of Kensington, Catherine Welker of Washington and Tania Welker of New York; one sister, Nancy Frenze of Philadelphia; and three brothers, Paul Welker of Providence, R.I., Robert Welker of Arlington and Kenneth Welker of Oslo.

-- Matt Schudel

Joe W. McCartherArmy Master Sergeant

Joe W. McCarther, 81, a retired Army master sergeant, died of a heart attack Nov. 28 at Inova Alexandria Hospital. He lived in Arlington.

Sgt. McCarther served in the Army in World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars. He retired in 1974. Among his awards were two Bronze Stars.

He was born in Chickasha, Okla., and enlisted in the Army after high school. After his retirement, he worked for the Office of the Secretary of the Army and then the Office of the Secretary of Defense as a driver and clerk in classified positions. He retired in 1994.