Henry Weigel

Henry S. Weigel soared into the heavens on his final flight on February 13, 2015 at age 95 years. He was born in Princeton, New Jersey on September 14, 1919 to Henry and Julia Lena Weigel. He attended Princeton, NJ public schools and graduated from Princeton High School in 1937. He attained the rank of Eagle Scout in 1935. He worked for his father at the Princeton Dairy through high school and assisted in the processing, bottling and delivery of milk to Princeton customers. He attended Rutgers University in the summer of 1937 taking a course in dairy processing and manufacturing. However, he had a chance in the summer of 1935 to take a ride at the Mercer County airport from an exhibition pilot by carrying gas cans for refueling. His desire to fly simply grew year after year. In the fall of 1937, he decided to go to work for Luscombe Aircraft Corporation in West Trenton, NJ. He received his Airplane and Engine Maintenance Rating certificate in 1939. In 1940 he went to work for Cape Aircraft at Hatchville, MA County Airport as an aircraft mechanic. Henry enlisted in the U.S. Army on December 15, 1941 in Boston, MA. He applied for and was accepted into the Army Air Corps and was assigned as an aviation trainee cadet in January, 1942. He completed preflight, primary, basic, advanced and B-17 Transition schools in Maxwell Airfield in Montgomery, AL; Bainbridge Airfield, Decatur, GA; Blytheville Airfield, Blytheville, AR; Kaye Airfield in Columbus, MS; Hendricks Field in Sebring, FL and Randolph Airfield near San Antonio, TX. In Feb. 1943, he was assigned to four-engine B-17 and B-24 bomber training and was stationed at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho but in April, 1943 he was transferred to Wendover Army Air Field in Utah. At Gowen Field, he was assigned to a 10-man crew to train for assignment to England but before he could complete training, he was assigned to Wendover Air Field as a Maintenance Test Pilot as part of field operations. In December, 1943 he and his maintenance test crew were assigned to the 399th Bomber Operations Group, 607th Squadron at March Air Field near Riverside, Calif. He served as a B-24 Instructor Pilot, Flight Test Maintenance Officer, Test Pilot, Test Flight Engineer and directed the flight testing of all repaired aircraft at March Field including not only B-17 and B-24 aircraft but also the B-18, B-25, B-26, P38, P39, P40, P47, P63, C45, C47. He flew many of the repaired and re-fitted fighters and bombers before they were released back to their respective units. Also at March Air Field, he met and married Violet Griffith on June 23, 1945 in Riverside, CA. Vi worked in March Field Air Operations. They were married for 59 years. In March, 1946 he became a co-pilot for Penn Central Airlines in Washington, D.C. Penn Central merged into Capitol Airlines by 1950. Capitol Airlines then merged into United Airlines in the early 1960’s. He flew east coast routes with Penn Central, Capitol and United Airlines primarily out of National Airport (now Reagan National) in Washington, D.C. In 1968, he was transferred to Denver, CO and became Manager of Flight Standards for United Airlines. Henry flew commercial aircraft for 34 years and retired in 1979. He flew many different types of commercial aircraft. His last plane was the DC-10. He and family lived in Alexandria, VA while flying out of National Airport. They were active in small sailboat racing on the Potomac River. They were active in Pohick Church in Lorton, VA. The family moved to Littleton, CO in 1968 when he was transferred to Stapleton Airport in Denver, CO. In 1996, he and Vi moved to Bartlesville, Oklahoma. They loved to travel, camping, boating and fishing. He was very active in the Oak Park United Methodist Church and in 2009 at the age of 90 he received the Pat McGarrity Award for Excellence in Volunteerism by City of Bartlesville Project Transformation. This award was given for helping young children in the 10-week summer reading program. Lastly, he was able to drive, mow his yard and do car repairs until July, 2014. He is proceeded in death by his wife Vi, his oldest son Stephen Russel Weigel and oldest daughter Julie Kathleen Blackstone. He is survived by his sister, Barbara L. Weigel of Newport News, VA, son Bruce Weigel of Aurora, CO; daughter Sue Troeger of Centennial, CO and Barbara Kelley of Bartlesville, OK. He has seven grandchildren; Brandon Blackstone, Brie Blackstone, Capt. Shaun Kelley, Maggie Kelley, Andy Troeger, Grant Troeger and Travis Weigel. He has ten great-grandchildren. Casket Bearers will be: Ed Kelley, Travis Weigel, Bruce Weigel, Brandon Blackstone, Andrew Troeger, Grant Troeger and Michael Evans. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, February 21, 2015 at the Walker-Brown Funeral Home Chapel in Bartlesville, OK and graveside services will be held at Dewey Cemetery in Dewey, OK. Military rites will be conducted by American Legion Post #105 Honor Guard and a motorcyle escort will be provided by the Patriot Guard Riders. The family is requesting donations in lieu of flowers be given to either Journey Home Hospice Care House, 3406 SE Kentucky Ave, Bartlesville, OK 74006 or Oak Park United Methodist Church, 601 NW Brentwood Dr., Bartlesville, OK 74003.

Henry Weigel

September 14, 1919 - February 13, 2015