6/15/2016
Walter Jacob Weidner, Jr., 98 years old, of Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, died June 15 at the Masonic Homes. Born in 1918, he grew up and worked in the Philadelphia area. During WWII he married Florence Kolodziej of Warminster, Pa., and eventually they settled in Lancaster Co.
During his life he was active in scouting, and his interest in boating lead him to later become a licensed pilot with the Power Squadron and the skipper of Sea Explorer unit 171 in Springfield, Pa., as well as a part-time pilot for a major, east-coast boat manufacturer. Professionally, he worked in the mill supply business for several Philadelphia area companies, one of which supplied tooling for the construction of the first nuclear powered submarine, the USS Nautilus in the 1950’s. In his later years, he was employed by Weaver Industries of Denver, Pa., where he was instrumental in developing the company into a national business specializing in the machining and supplying of graphic materials for the nuclear and aero-space industries. His desire to solve problems and help others was a motivating force throughout his career. After retirement, he continued working as a sales and marketing consultant for many local companies.
His interest in automobiles lead him to devote much of his spare time to automotive restoration, and after retirement, he became a longtime volunteer at the Antique Automobile Club of America’s museum in Hershey, Pa. both in the restoration department and later as a docent. In the 1960’s he joined the Masonic Order, and later, after he and his wife moved to the Masonic Homes, he became an avid model builder and was in the model railroad there. As a young boy, he was a paid choirboy in an Episcopal Church, and throughout his life he served many churches by being on building and finance committees where he attended. For forty years he was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Lancaster, Pa., and had a life-long appreciation for church music.
He is survived by two sons, W. Joseph husband of Gayle Weidner of Leola, Raymond F. husband of Margaret of Forest , VA, three grandsons, and two daughter’s- in-law.
Services will be held at Furman Home for Funerals, 59 W. Main St, Leola, Pa. on Friday, June 24, 2016 at 11:00 am. Interment will be in Trumbauer Cemetery in Leola. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the “Music Department Memorial Fund” of Westminster Presbyterian Church, 2151 Oregon Pike, Lancaster, PA 17601.