William Weiss Jr.

1943 - 2015

Weiss, Jr., William Weiss Jr., William RWilliam R. "Bill" Weiss, Jr., 72, of Bethlehem passed away peacefully on Tuesday November 10, 2015 in the Inpatient Hospice Unit at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Allentown. He was the husband of the late Adelina C. "Addie" Weiss for 51 years before her passing on August 31st, 2015. Bill was born July 24, 1943 in Fountain Hill. He was the son of the late William R. Sr. and Charlotte E. (Pettit) Weiss. He attended Fountain Hill High School where he was a leading player on the basketball team. Bill retired after 20 years at Bethlehem Steel to pursue his childhood dreams of becoming an expert in stamps. Bill and Addie established their first stamp businesses in 1972, Weiss Philatelics and Weiss Auctions, and later expanded into Weiss Expertizing Services. He was a 48 year American Philatelic Society member and a very well known exhibitor and author of several books including The Foreign Mail Cancellations of New York City, 1870-1878, The United States 15c Stamp of 1870-1890, The Catalog of Union Civil War Patriotic Covers, Confederate States General Issue Stamps Used Adversity Covers, 1861-1865 and Collecting United States Covers and Postal History. Bill has also authored numerous articles in various philatelic publications. He taught several courses related to stamp collections at national conferences. Bill was a member of St. Ursula Roman Catholic Church, Fountain Hill, and a former member of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, Colesville, where he and his wife provided for the outdoor shrine and statue at that parish. Survivors: daughters, Lori A. Weiss and Donna Trovarello and her husband Charles; grandson, Alec Shara; brother, Thomas Weiss and his wife Annette; sister, Laurette Norman and her husband Roger; mother-in-law, Christina (Tina) Dolinsky Miranda; many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by a sister, Charlotte Good. Services: Family and friends are invited to attend a Memorial Mass to be celebrated on Saturday, November 14, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. in St. Ursula's Roman Catholic Church, 1300 Broadway, Fountain Hill with Father Robert Potts as celebrant. There will be no calling hours prior to the mass. Inurnment will be private and at the convenience of the family. Arrangements are under the direction of the Reichel Funeral Home, Northampton. Online condolences may be submitted to www.reichelfuneralhome.com. Contributions: may be presented to Second Harvest Food Bank, 2045 Harvest Way, Allentown, PA 18104, Lehigh Valley Hospice 2166 S. 12th St. Suite 101 Allentown PA 18103, or to St. Ursula's Roman Catholic Church.