Meagan Marie Welsh, 32, of Columbia, formerly of Festus, died July 28, 2022. Ms. Welsh attended Washington Lutheran Elementary School and graduated from Festus High School. She earned a bachelor’s degree in occupational science and an interdisciplinary graduate certificate in autism and neurodevelopmental disorder from the University of Missouri in Columbia in 2011, then graduated summa cum laude with a master’s degree in occupational therapy in 2013. She was employed as an occupational therapist at The Rehabilitation Institute of St. Louis, where she received specialized training in the spinal cord injury and amputee programs and became the spinal cord injury program coordinator. She was also employed with SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis and Mercy Hospital St. Louis in Creve Coeur. She later worked as a traveling OT, spending the last two years working in Columbia through Mizzou Therapy Services, where she floated between adult outpatient neurological rehab, inpatient pediatric therapy and the NICU. She also worked part-time at Boone Hospital Center and as an adjunct instructor for case-based learning graduate-level classes at the University of Missouri. She volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) to watch over and advocate for children who have experienced abuse and neglect. She enjoyed spending time with her dog, Astrid, as well as traveling, hiking, listening to music, reading, riding horses, skydiving, off-roading and spending time with her family and friends. Born March 24, 1990, she was the daughter of Christine Marie (Peter J.) Geiler Cento and William Bradley “Brad” (Tasha Abrams) Welsh.
In addition to her parents, she is survived by two sisters: Madelyn Grace and Mackenzie Rose Welsh; and her grandparents: Susan F. (Kreitler) and Michael J. Abrams of Festus and Col. Dahl Joseph (Ret.) and Kathryn Dorothy Cento of Kansas City.
She was preceded in death by her grandparents: Marie A. (Banjai) and Jack A. Geiler, Norval William “Bill” Welsh and Sandra L. (Basler) Lambarth.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, at Abiding Savior Lutheran Church, 4355 Butler Hill Road, in St. Louis County. Memorials may be made to Heart of Missouri CASA.