Obituary: Rodney Allen Weis
For The Madera Tribune
Rodney Allen Weis.
Long time Madera, California resident, Rodney Allen Weis, passed peacefully in his sleep June 7, 2023 in Napa, California. His lifelong sweetheart Kathie was at his side to hold his hand and to wish him loving Godspeed on his new journey.
It isn’t hard to describe his well-lived life. It is only hard to be succinct. For family and friends, his intense curiosity was driven by his deep love and empathy. In his career, his innovations were a great pairing with his business acumen. With his leisure time, his many interests were matched only by his varied talents. And with everything, he brought a ready humor and a sweet thoughtfulness, a quiet confidence laced with genuine humility that in combination could only be called charisma.
He was born in Coalinga, California, on Nov. 9, 1938, to Fred and Ellen Weis joining his sisters Marilyn and Marion to complete the family. He was raised on his family’s farm in Madera, California. He attended Ripperdan Elementary, Fresno Union Academy and Pacific Union College.
After two years of college, he joined his parents as partners on the farm. He met his wife, Kathie, in high school and they were inseparable ever after. They married in December of 1959 and Kathie joined him on the farm where they soon started the family that would become the light of his life.
Rodney was an excellent farmer growing grapes for raisins and almonds. He was an innovator, implementing integrated pest management on the farm in the 1970s. Under his stewardship the farm thrived and grew. In 2010 he sold the farm and moved to Napa to be near his children and grandchildren.
Rod was a man of many interests and talents. He loved basketball as a player and a fan. He was an avid water sportsman, enjoying skiing, lake fishing, ocean fishing and just generally being on the water. He was a history buff and an enthusiastic world traveler and combined both for many enjoyable trips. He was an accomplished chef whose many recipes have a wide following among his friends and family.
Rod said he got to Napa, “in the nick of time” to enjoy his grandchildren. It was a joyful time of bonding with each grandchild as they grew, through school and music performances, performing arts and sports then on to college and into their young adulthood. All the while Rod and Kathie had the time to relish their children with visits both planned and spontaneous.
Rod’s faith was a guiding light throughout his life. In his last conversations with his family, he assured them all that he was at peace with the next step of his journey. He stepped forward strong in the belief of his ancient faith in the resurrection and the life of the world to come.
He leaves to mourn his wife, Kathie Weis. He was preceded in death by his parents Fred and Ellen Weis, his sisters Marilyn Dassenko and Marion Wilson and his son, Greg Weis, and is survived by Greg’s widow Janet Angers and her husband, Glenn, with his grandson Andrew Weis and his wife Sydney. He is also survived by his son Russell Weis and his wife Laurie with his granddaughter Josephine Weis, and by his daughter Joan Wellington and her husband Ed with his grandchildren, Nicholas Gomez and Gabriela Gomez, and his step-granddaughter Sheena Mixon and her husband Stewart and their family.
No service is planned at this time.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Salvation Army, Napa Corps – Culinary Training Academy (CTA). Cooking was Rod’s passion and he was delighted when they started the CTA 5 years ago. They have graduated 18 classes and every graduate has been placed in a job, many in our Napa Valley restaurants. The address is: https://give.salvationarmyusa.org/give/164006/#!/donation/checkout.
To ensure that the funds go to the culinary program, make sure to click on “In memory of” Rodney Weis. For the family to know that you have remembered Rod in this way, please name Kathie as the recipient including her e-mail: kathieweis@comcast.net
