Edwin “Ed” A. Weihenmayer, III passed away due to heart issues on June 2 in Mayo Hospital, Jacksonville, Florida. He fought the good fight and was awaiting hip surgery revision when his beautiful heart gave out. Being a man of faith, Ed told his family that it was his time, that he wasn’t afraid, and that in a dream, Jesus had a room waiting for him.
In his final hours, Ed’s family were there to comfort him and ease his transition. Ed’s life was a testament to hard work, faith, patriotism, and family. And those attributes will be passed on to his loved ones.
Ed was born in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, August 7, 1940, to parents Helene and Edwin Weihenmayer II. He attended William Penn Charter School. In his senior year, Ed was class president, salutatorian and captain of the football team being named to the All-Scholastic Philadelphia and All-Pennsylvania teams.
In 1962, Ed graduated from Princeton University as a top engineering student, having served as chapel deacon, was a member of Tiger Inn and competed in track and football. Ed was Princeton’s 92nd football captain. After college, Ed continued his love for football through coaching. In 1971, Ed’s Pop Warner Hightstown Rams team finished with an undefeated season led by his son Mark, with a point spread of 387 to 6! The team was invited to the Disney World Bowl in Orlando, Florida.
After Princeton, Ed volunteered for the Marine Corp and was chosen Honor Man of his officer’s training school out of a graduating class of 600! During the Vietnam War, he was stationed in Chu Lai and flew 118 missions as a A4 Skyhawk aviator receiving five air medals. He retired at the rank of captain serving in the National Guard for another six years. From 1967-80, Ed worked at Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, starting as a negotiator with labor unions. Ultimately, he was promoted to vice-president of human resources for Latin America and Asia, living in Hong Kong with his family for five of those years.
In 1980, Ed made his way to Wall Street leading human resources for Kidder Peabody, starting the first drug testing program on Wall Street and becoming known as the “drug czar of Wall Street" From 1988-1995, he led human resources for Salomon Brothers as a managing director and guiding the country's most comprehensive school and corporate partnership with Paul Robeson High School. At that time, Ed volunteered as the vice Chairman for the American Foundation for the Blind.
In 1995, Ed left Wall Street to become the business manager for his blind son, Erik. As a single parent, Ed guided Erik through the years, culminating with Erik climbing the highest summit on each of the seven continents as well as becoming a most sought after motivational speaker. Ed continued to serve as Erik’s business manager until his passing – arranging speaking events, obtaining endorsements and assisting with Erik’s books and films.
Ed was an adventurer. On summer vacations, he would lead his family on world-wide excursions from the game parks of Kenya, to the winding narrow markets of New Delhi and on the river boats of Thailand. As his children got older, the trips became more challenging – through the Peruvian Andes, over the Baltoro Glacier in Pakistan and through the highlands and rain forest of West Papau. However, the most memorable trip might have been in 1997 when he and Erik rode a tandem bike 1,200 miles across Vietnam, along with a team of service men, women and injured veterans for World T.E.A.M. Sports.
Despite a demanding career, Ed always carved out time for his family and loved them deeply. With a nearly two-hour commute from Wall Street to Connecticut, he never missed one of Erik’s wrestling matches and was heard yelling the loudest from the stands in his deep Marine’s voice. Ed’s entrepreneurial drive inspired his son’s, Eddi who operates World Gym’s in Pensacola and Mark who operated a lake-scaping business in Orlando. In later years, Ed loved travelling around the country following his grandchildren playing volley ball and baseball. On annual family reunions, Ed would organize minute-to-minute agendas for his grandchildren, from tennis and golf ball collecting to beach hikes and tours of the nearby nature center to recitals of his favorite poem, Don’t Quit!
Ed’s first wife Ellen was killed in a car accident in 1985. In 2001, after moving to Amelia Island, Florida, he married Mariann Dahl who Ed described as “the love of his life.”
Ed’s deep Christian faith guided his life with love, service, thankfulness, and generosity. He served as president of the Amelia Island Chapel in 2017, chaired the outreach ministry from 2017-2020 and was on the outreach ministry board for 12 years. He secured speakers for the men's breakfasts and for the spring and fall conferences, hosted entertainment with a rousing gospel choir and luncheons for the visiting missionaries. Ed's vivaciousness and boldness enabled all the church community to become better Christians in serving the Lord in the chapel environment.
Ed is survived by his wife, Mariann Dahl Weihenmayer, sons Eddi and Erik Weihenmayer, Curtis (Maria) Dahl, and ten grandchildren: Gabbi, Emma, Arjun, Edwin, Brooklyn, Jacob, Gracelyn, Matthew, Nicole and Christopher; sister, Eloise Weihenmayer Hyndman and brother, William (Libby) Weihenmayer
Memorial contributions may be made in Ed’s honor to
No Barriers, 605 S College Ave #101, Fort Collins, CO 80524
https://nobarriersusa.org/
The Parent Help Center, PO Box 2472, Huntersville, NC 28070
https://theparenthelpcenter.com/donate