KENNEBUNKPORT — Edward O’Malley Welles, Jr., passed away peacefully on August 9, 2026, at the age of 75.
Born on September 30, 1950, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Edward, Sr., and Frances (Eells) Welles, Edward grew up with the world as his backyard. His father’s governmental postings took the family to Greece, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Morocco. These experiences shaped his early life and instilled in him a lifelong interest in travel and discovery.
He completed his preparatory education at The Hotchkiss School before earning his degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Following graduation, his love for adventure and storytelling led him to a distinguished career in journalism. He began his professional journey crafting captions for National Geographic and writing freelance articles for the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, and Audubon Magazine.
His career brought him to California, where he started his family, wrote feature-length investigative pieces for the San Jose Mercury News, and earned a prestigious Gerald Loeb Award for excellence in financial journalism. Later, Ed spent 13 years as a senior writer for Inc. magazine in Boston, where he was nominated for a National Magazine Award for his in-depth coverage of entrepreneurship and economic inclusion—a testament to his commitment to giving voice to vital societal issues. He was also a finalist for the Business Journalist of the Year Awards in the United Kingdom in 2005.
In 1999, Edward received a life-altering cancer diagnosis. Though it was a persistent challenge, he continued to live vigorously and well with his wife, Karen, a fellow journalist and an avid sportsperson. Together, they traveled the world, tended their homestead and gardens, enjoyed the beaches and nature preserves of Maine, and built a tennis court on their land to play the game they loved. In recent years, Edward transitioned from writing to painting, spending hours in his studio capturing the world on canvas. Their home was filled with warmth, creativity, resilience, and the companionship of their beloved dogs.
Edward is survived by Karen; his sons, Edward and Hugh, and their mother, Dee Clarke; his sister, Parmelee Tolkan; daughter-in-law, Lake; sister-in-law, Paulette; nephew, Sam, and his son, Oscar; and four grandchildren: Brendan, Teddy, Sullivan, and River; as well as many loving cousins, friends, and neighbors. He was predeceased by his parents; his brother, Jonathan; and his brother-in-law, James Tolkan.
His ashes will be placed alongside those of his canines in Lake Placid, New York.
The family requests that memorial donations be made to the Leonard P. Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies and Healthy Living at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
To share a memory or leave a message of condolence, please visit Edward’s Book of Memories Page at www.bibberfuneral.com.
Arrangements are in the care of Bibber Memorial Chapel, 67 Summer Street, Kennebunk, ME.
