Lewis Weiner was Elie Halpern's Father-In-Law and Ari Halpern's Grandfather. Our Olympia Building is named after Lewis & Sylvia Weiner

Lewis Weiner Gave Of Himself And Honored His God And Family
By Carole Beers
Seattle Times Staff Reporter

September 2nd 1998

Lewis Weiner earned his living as an electrical engineer at Boeing. He served his God as a director of Herzl-Ner Tamid Synagogue, and he furnished his home with inlaid furniture crafted in his own workshop.

He also taught English as a second language and tended a garden.

But his biggest achievement, according to his family, was rearing smart and loving children and grandchildren. He honored them by taking them fishing, then listening to their ideas or troubles, sometimes for hours.

Mr. Weiner died Wednesday (Sept. 2) of cancer. He was 82.

Listening, linked to his thirst for knowledge, was his best trait, says his family. Fishing and traveling offered a relaxing way to do that.

"He ran a little outboard boat out on Lake Washington many mornings when the weather was good, " said his daughter, Beth Halpern of Olympia. "He caught trout and steelhead, and taught all his grandsons to fish."

Grandson Ari Halpern of Olympia remembers fishing with his grandfather and how, when they stopped the boat past the I-90 Floating Bridge, Mr. Weiner would say, "What's on your mind? Tell me something."

"His gift was the way he lived his life," Halpern said. "Planning. He never did anything without planning. He even planned the part of the cemetery where he was buried.

"When people faced decisions, they would ask, `What would Lew do?' He had a lot of wisdom. It came from his character. He was a man with a lot of character."

Born in Spokane of Polish immigrants, he earned a degree in electrical engineering at Washington State University. He did engineering work for the Bonneville Power Administration for 16 years, then worked at Boeing until retiring in 1979.

With his wife of 58 years, Sylvia Weiner of Seattle, he traveled in the U.S. and abroad, studying cultures, staying in hostels and schmoozing everyone he met.

He liked to say, "There's no one lazier than someone who's too lazy to enjoy their own vacation."

Other survivors include his son, Gerald Weiner of Los Angeles; his brother, Sidney Weiner of Mercer Island; his sister, Clara Cogdill of Portland; and four grandchildren.