John M. Weber

John M. Weber, 75, of Milan, passed away on Friday, December 31, 2021 at UnityPoint Health-Trinity, Rock Island. Private graveside services will be Friday at Calvary Cemetery, Rock Island. Visitation will be Thursday from 5 pm to 8 pm at Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home and Crematory, Milan. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to The Kidney Foundation or to The Arthritis Foundation.

John Michael Weber was born July 2, 1946 at Moline Public Hospital to Clarence H. and Leisla Darr Weber of Rock Island, IL.  He graduated from Alleman High School in 1964, Blackhawk College with an Associate’s degree in Mathematics in 1970 and Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering in 1971. Just out of school, he accepted a position at Montgomery Elevator Co. in Moline in the Research and Development department.  On March 20, 1971, he married Linda R. Herald at Sacred Heart Church in Rock Island.

In 1979, he accepted the position of Chief Engineer at Northwestern Elevator Co. in Milwaukee, WI and the family took up residence in Mequon, WI.  While there, he earned his MBA from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee in 1983.  In 1984, he returned to Montgomery Elevator Co. (later KONE) where he worked in various positions in Research and Development and the Service Business until he retired in 2012.

In his forty-one year career in the elevator industry, he represented his employers on several elevator and escalator codes and standards committees.  He was a past member of the IEEE and a life member of the ASME.  He also represented the Elevator Industry on NFPA 70E, the Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace. He worked with Renew Moline to bring the WIU campus and an engineering curriculum to the Quad Cities riverfront and he served on a Technical Curriculum Committee at Blackhawk College. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of the KONE Employees Credit Union.

In his working career, he visited 49 states and 22 countries.  He didn’t particularly care for traveling, but he thought the retirement cruise to Alaska to visit his 50th state wasn’t so bad.  He enjoyed cooking on the grill while hosting family gatherings, woodworking, astronomy and fast vintage cars. He especially enjoyed having a private dinner with his children and grandchildren just to chat or when he thought they might benefit from his experience. A lifelong learner, he amassed a library of over five-hundred books and thirty video courses on a wide variety of subjects. By far, his favorite subject though was Physics.

He was preceded in death by his Father in 1966, his step-father, Gordon Winders, in 1993 and his Mother in 1994.  He is survived by his wife Linda of 50 years; children, Hope Aldeman and Tadd (Diane) Weber; grandchildren, Amber Weber, Briannon Aldeman, Megan Weber and Gannon Aldeman; step-granddaughter, Alisa Grimes (Brian Behrens); and a great-grandson, Milo.

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