Michael T. Wiegand

Michael T Wiegand
Michael T. Wiegand, a longtime resident of Cos Cob, CT, died peacefully at Greenwich Hospital on Sunday afternoon, February 4th, 2024. He was 84 years old.
Born in Chicago to Otto and Florence Wiegand (nee Bies), he grew up in Wilmette, Illinois in a house, he was fond to recount, acquired by his maternal grandfather during a somewhat extreme, but not unheard of, winner-take-all poker game.
By all accounts, young Mike also liked bold, risky moves, and possessed a daring, enterprising spirit. A self-described "Johnny Hustle," he had a natural ability to spot and seize opportunities, often well before the competition even showed up. By age 13 he was busy working summers, variously, as landscaper, errand boy and golf caddy. With a view to expanding his horizons and seeing the world, he propelled his way into a full scholarship at Georgetown University, where he spent his first year at the School of Foreign Service before successfully completing his MSFS in International Economics and Political Theory at Georgetown's Graduate School.
Part of his coursework included a year-long study abroad at the Johann Wolfgang von Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany from 1961-62. Forging friendships among colleagues while deepening family ties with family relations in then West Germany, he busied himself during the school year laying the foundations for what would become a second home and base of operations in the future.
Upon graduation, he embarked on a long and rewarding career in international banking, securing senior level positions in several major international banks and doing what he had dreamed about doing ever since he was old enough to look at a world map: visiting foreign metropolises while engaging his creative talents in the fast-paced, high-pressure environments in which he thrived.
Fluent in German and a gifted motivator with a keen nose for talent, he led teams on exciting high-stakes banking endeavors on both sides of the Atlantic, mentoring many a young upstart along the way.
It was while based in Frankfurt, Germany and on assignment in London in 1974 that he met Patricia McGarry, to whom he was married in 1975 and with whom he had two sons, Sean and Paul. Upon returning to the US, the family moved to the North East and South West and back again, following professional engagements, until finally settling in Cos Cob in 1984. The couple divorced in 1985 but remained close friends.
After transitioning from international banking to work as a financial consultant during the early 2000s, Mike finally decided to retire in 2007, though only from business pursuits. His lifelong love of traveling led to numerous mini-adventures in European capitals, and eye-opening forays into several major cities in China and South East Asia in the early 2010s.
He is survived by his two sons, Sean and Paul (Jiajia), and two grandsons Kaí and Kéllen and will be remembered for his zest for life, expansive presence and always upbeat, cheerful demeanor. He loved telling and listening to stories about daring exploits and achievements - or mischievous fun and hijinks, to which he abandoned himself with gusto throughout his life - and had a passion for family genealogies and histories.
His gift for wonderfully unique, offbeat figures of speech and endlessly entertaining zingers will be painfully missed by his eldest son, while his "nothing ventured, nothing gained" philosophy of life, which he thoroughly embodied, will continue to guide and inspire his youngest.
There will be a visitation at the Castiglione Funeral Home in Greenwich, CT on Friday, February 9, 2024 from 5-8 p.m. The funeral mass will be held at St. Catherine of Siena Church in Riverside, CT on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at 10 a.m.