Donald Harold Weber, a steadfastly loyal husband and father, supportive leader, ever-ready teacher and friend to all he met, died Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Omaha, Nebraska. He was 92.
Always ready to deliver joy with a joke while sporting a wry smile, he led an active and adventurous life with his faithful and fierce bride of 73 years, Ellie, who carries on in his passing with daughters Barbara Kashi and Diane Weyrick and sons Robert Weber and Brent Weber.
He will be remembered at a casual public gathering Saturday, April 26th from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Braman’s 72nd Street Chapel in Omaha.
A proud veteran of the United States Air Force, he will be laid to rest this summer at Omaha National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, a donation in his name to Prevent Blindness, Radio Talking Book Service in Nebraska, the American Cancer Society or your local DAV chapter would be appreciated.
A father who never faltered. A husband who never failed. A leader who believed in those with him. A crooked smile and joke for the ready, to any who he met along the way. These are the ways Don Weber is remembered. To his family, he was the better man than all we have known. And you, like so many who met him, would have loved him.
That family also includes his older sister, Janet, who is still with us. His younger sister Joanne and younger brother Jimmy passed before him, as did his mother Marion Palomaki, who undoubtedly instilled in him his sense of humor and spirit for life.
Paw-paw shared with pride word of his grandkids: grandchildren Yvonne, Geoffrey, Holly and Nicole; great-grandchildren Kymberly, Kyle and Peyton; and great-grandkids Brandon, Luke and Laila.
He climbed the dugout steps to the Wrigley Field in the sky late on a Sunday evening after listening to the final outs of a Cubs win over the Dodgers. But it wasn’t just sport that invigorated him. Of every activity or accomplishment by his kids and wife, he proudly shared to all within earshot.
In a life mostly spent in vigorous health supporting those around him, macular degeneration dimmed Don’s eyesight and Alzheimer’s ultimately chased him down.
And it is important to know that, particularly in his latest years, the Veterans Administration and later the Veterans Affairs provided Don with life-saving and life-enriching healthcare and support. His family is forever grateful to the VA.
By his side through it all, his bride Eleanor.
These kids were both 19 when they got married on May 9, 1952. A fan of classic country music from Hank Williams to Willie Nelson, Don lived to just shy of his 93rd birthday. He was born July 22, 1932 in Waukegan, Illinois and as a young man his work ethic was already prevalent. Sunrise to sunset hours as a kid caddying on the local golf courses helped him support his mom and siblings, later exacting a toll through skin cancer.
It all changed when he fell in love with Ellie. In his memory, she has no plans to slow down heading towards her own 93rd in November. In her heart, what’s the rush towards eternity? It’ll still be there. He’ll still be there.
Called Donnie by his mother, he was a graduate of Zion-Benton High School in Zion, Illinois where he played baseball and – by his perfect attendance records – showed up every day. And since then, he did the same for all in his life.
If you were his friend once, you always were. From his teenage years until the end, he remembered them all. One of the many inspirational sayings shared with friend and family alike, “illegitimi non carborundum” was his favorite and ours: don’t let the bastards grind you down.
After their marriage at St. Mark’s Rectory in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Don enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and began his service on June 5, 1952 during the Korean War. Rising to Staff Sergeant as a jet engine mechanic, he served honorably until his completion of service December 2, 1956. Don was awarded the Good Conduct Medal and National Defense Service Medal.
With his growing family in tow, he remained in service to his country as a civilian contractor for more than a decade, teaching airplane mechanics and more on the ever-evolving flight tech of that time.
Don’s leadership was evident in his career that followed for NCR in Dayton, Ohio and Atlanta, Georgia, where he ushered his team of business teachers into the era of computers, managing multiple education centers and utilizing his skills and disarming personality in seminars across the country. His work took him from home and was taxing, so his wife considered it a blessing in their late 50s when he took a modest early retirement, opening a new world of adventure and excitement for them.
Always game for a road trip, whether it was to Stone Mountain, Treasure Island or to find a Green’s for a case of returnable beer, he and Ellie spread their wings in retirement travel.
From cruises to far away isles to drives through previous parts unknown from coast to coast, they were ever-ready with their fifth-wheel camper. Who could question their commitment to exploring off the grid when they embarked on a road trip from Tucker, Georgia, through the Grand Canyon and north along the Al-Can Highway to Alaska? In a time without email and cell phones, they exhaustively cherished their time together.
Humble homes in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Blairsville, Georgia allowed them to build special relationships with new friends and their granddaughters Holly and Nicole.
As much of their family moved west in their own pursuits, Don and Ellie packed up and moved to California, where they enjoyed daily walks from 2-5 miles into their late 80s and early 90s. Truth be told, Ellie rode her scooter for much of those recent years, a necessary vehicle to keep pace with Don’s relentless pursuit of pavement.
In his final four months spent in hospice under the loving care of the Florence Home, mom was there all but a handful of days beside him, often to nap alongside him and to fight scraggly tooth and in-need-of-clipping nails for his needs. (His teeth, his nails!)
She said to him in those recent days, when his eyes were open and his hands still able to hold, that it was o-k for him to rest, that she and everyone else would be o-k. A man who had been strong in support of his family from childhood, we were able to remind him that he had done his best for all of us. It was time for him to rest.
His son Brent was fortunate to be there in the end, as well, and promised him mom would be ok and that it will be his most important pleasure moving forward to keep that promise.
“Dad saw me that last day, though barely. I almost left him half-sleeping but went back in to his room to hold his hand, kiss his head and say ‘I love you, Daddy’ for all of us. I put the Cubs-Dodgers game on his TV, and said goodbye, not knowing for certain it would be goodbye any more than knowing the Cubs would win. But I had a good idea that would be the final earthly chapter for him. And that the little bears would indeed claim victory from another of his favorite teams. Cubs win, Cubs win! He heard it, I know.”
While an athletic supporter of his local teams throughout life, including the Braves and Hawks in Atlanta and later the Dodgers and Rams in LA, his roots meant rooting for his childhood favorite Cubs and Bears, checking off life’s bucket list championships with their 1986 Super Bowl and 2016 World Series victories.
And for him, we all win.
A father who never faltered. A husband who never failed. A leader who believed in those with him. A crooked smile and joke for the ready, to any who he met along the way.
That was Donald Harold Weber - that is him - and we miss him and always will.
Always ready to deliver joy with a joke while sporting a wry smile, he led an active and adventurous life with his faithful and fierce bride of 73 years, Ellie, who carries on in his passing with daughters Barbara Kashi and Diane Weyrick and sons Robert Weber and Brent Weber.
He will be remembered at a casual public gathering Saturday, April 26th from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Braman’s 72nd Street Chapel in Omaha.
A proud veteran of the United States Air Force, he will be laid to rest this summer at Omaha National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, a donation in his name to Prevent Blindness, Radio Talking Book Service in Nebraska, the American Cancer Society or your local DAV chapter would be appreciated.
A father who never faltered. A husband who never failed. A leader who believed in those with him. A crooked smile and joke for the ready, to any who he met along the way. These are the ways Don Weber is remembered. To his family, he was the better man than all we have known. And you, like so many who met him, would have loved him.
That family also includes his older sister, Janet, who is still with us. His younger sister Joanne and younger brother Jimmy passed before him, as did his mother Marion Palomaki, who undoubtedly instilled in him his sense of humor and spirit for life.
Paw-paw shared with pride word of his grandkids: grandchildren Yvonne, Geoffrey, Holly and Nicole; great-grandchildren Kymberly, Kyle and Peyton; and great-grandkids Brandon, Luke and Laila.
He climbed the dugout steps to the Wrigley Field in the sky late on a Sunday evening after listening to the final outs of a Cubs win over the Dodgers. But it wasn’t just sport that invigorated him. Of every activity or accomplishment by his kids and wife, he proudly shared to all within earshot.
In a life mostly spent in vigorous health supporting those around him, macular degeneration dimmed Don’s eyesight and Alzheimer’s ultimately chased him down.
And it is important to know that, particularly in his latest years, the Veterans Administration and later the Veterans Affairs provided Don with life-saving and life-enriching healthcare and support. His family is forever grateful to the VA.
By his side through it all, his bride Eleanor.
These kids were both 19 when they got married on May 9, 1952. A fan of classic country music from Hank Williams to Willie Nelson, Don lived to just shy of his 93rd birthday. He was born July 22, 1932 in Waukegan, Illinois and as a young man his work ethic was already prevalent. Sunrise to sunset hours as a kid caddying on the local golf courses helped him support his mom and siblings, later exacting a toll through skin cancer.
It all changed when he fell in love with Ellie. In his memory, she has no plans to slow down heading towards her own 93rd in November. In her heart, what’s the rush towards eternity? It’ll still be there. He’ll still be there.
Called Donnie by his mother, he was a graduate of Zion-Benton High School in Zion, Illinois where he played baseball and – by his perfect attendance records – showed up every day. And since then, he did the same for all in his life.
If you were his friend once, you always were. From his teenage years until the end, he remembered them all. One of the many inspirational sayings shared with friend and family alike, “illegitimi non carborundum” was his favorite and ours: don’t let the bastards grind you down.
After their marriage at St. Mark’s Rectory in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Don enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and began his service on June 5, 1952 during the Korean War. Rising to Staff Sergeant as a jet engine mechanic, he served honorably until his completion of service December 2, 1956. Don was awarded the Good Conduct Medal and National Defense Service Medal.
With his growing family in tow, he remained in service to his country as a civilian contractor for more than a decade, teaching airplane mechanics and more on the ever-evolving flight tech of that time.
Don’s leadership was evident in his career that followed for NCR in Dayton, Ohio and Atlanta, Georgia, where he ushered his team of business teachers into the era of computers, managing multiple education centers and utilizing his skills and disarming personality in seminars across the country. His work took him from home and was taxing, so his wife considered it a blessing in their late 50s when he took a modest early retirement, opening a new world of adventure and excitement for them.
Always game for a road trip, whether it was to Stone Mountain, Treasure Island or to find a Green’s for a case of returnable beer, he and Ellie spread their wings in retirement travel.
From cruises to far away isles to drives through previous parts unknown from coast to coast, they were ever-ready with their fifth-wheel camper. Who could question their commitment to exploring off the grid when they embarked on a road trip from Tucker, Georgia, through the Grand Canyon and north along the Al-Can Highway to Alaska? In a time without email and cell phones, they exhaustively cherished their time together.
Humble homes in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Blairsville, Georgia allowed them to build special relationships with new friends and their granddaughters Holly and Nicole.
As much of their family moved west in their own pursuits, Don and Ellie packed up and moved to California, where they enjoyed daily walks from 2-5 miles into their late 80s and early 90s. Truth be told, Ellie rode her scooter for much of those recent years, a necessary vehicle to keep pace with Don’s relentless pursuit of pavement.
In his final four months spent in hospice under the loving care of the Florence Home, mom was there all but a handful of days beside him, often to nap alongside him and to fight scraggly tooth and in-need-of-clipping nails for his needs. (His teeth, his nails!)
She said to him in those recent days, when his eyes were open and his hands still able to hold, that it was o-k for him to rest, that she and everyone else would be o-k. A man who had been strong in support of his family from childhood, we were able to remind him that he had done his best for all of us. It was time for him to rest.
His son Brent was fortunate to be there in the end, as well, and promised him mom would be ok and that it will be his most important pleasure moving forward to keep that promise.
“Dad saw me that last day, though barely. I almost left him half-sleeping but went back in to his room to hold his hand, kiss his head and say ‘I love you, Daddy’ for all of us. I put the Cubs-Dodgers game on his TV, and said goodbye, not knowing for certain it would be goodbye any more than knowing the Cubs would win. But I had a good idea that would be the final earthly chapter for him. And that the little bears would indeed claim victory from another of his favorite teams. Cubs win, Cubs win! He heard it, I know.”
While an athletic supporter of his local teams throughout life, including the Braves and Hawks in Atlanta and later the Dodgers and Rams in LA, his roots meant rooting for his childhood favorite Cubs and Bears, checking off life’s bucket list championships with their 1986 Super Bowl and 2016 World Series victories.
And for him, we all win.
A father who never faltered. A husband who never failed. A leader who believed in those with him. A crooked smile and joke for the ready, to any who he met along the way.
That was Donald Harold Weber - that is him - and we miss him and always will.
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