Harry Joseph Weil's Obituary
Harry Joseph Weil passed away on June 17, 2023 at the age of 93. He joins his beloved wife of 70 years, Diane, who passed in July of 2020.
Harry was born in Bethlehem, PA on July 16, 1929, growing up in a loving and loud extended Italian-German family with his sister Connie. He attended Lehigh University where he earned a degree in Metallurgical Engineering, working in the mills of Bethlehem Steel (usually the overnight shift) while a student to pay for school.
After graduation, he moved to Bartlesville, OK, working for Phillips Petroleum in the engineering lab, where he met and married the love of his life, Diane. Soon after, he put his education to work while assigned to Aberdeen Proving Grounds as part of his required military service. He used to tell us how his colleagues would be tasked with designing a bullet that could penetrate any armor – and then turn around and engineer the armor that could withstand that new bullet. Needless to say, their work was never done.
After his time in the Army, he found his true professional calling – sales. Gregarious and savvy, he excelled at technical sales and thrived in the booming steel industry of the 60s and early 70s, moving from New York City to Hartford and back – and finally to Pittsburgh, where he settled with his family, working a long and illustrious career with INCO and Le Nickel.
When not working (and sometimes when working – in the boom days of the industry), Harry enjoyed many, many rounds of golf. He played religiously every Saturday and Sunday during the season, and won a few Sewickley Heights Club Championships in the day. When he finally officially retired, it made all the more time for honing his skills on the links.
Harry was the family chef, crafting his famous frittata, spaghetti sauce, and turkey and stuffing on many a family get-together. His Thanksgiving spaghetti (yes, really!) became family lore. Always served with generous helpings of beer, wine, and laughter.
Throughout his long life, he fulfilled the role of provider, but more importantly, of caregiver. He and Diane cared for their adult daughter, Nancy, well into their 80s, when Diane was diagnosed with dementia. For the last decade of Diane’s life, Harry lovingly tended to her every need, despite the challenges of his own declining health, and when their eventual separation was driven by the global pandemic, he still managed to visit and make sure she felt surrounded by his love.
Harry is survived by his daughters Nancy and Valerie, his beloved grandson Keller Ulrich, son-in-law John Ulrich, his older sister Connie Wertz, and many nephews and nieces who will remember his generosity and unfailing sense of humor.
According to Harry’s wishes, no services will be held. In lieu of flowers, donations to The Arc of Pennsylvania are encouraged.
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