Ernest John Wegener Jr.

1943 - 2025

Ernest John Wegener, Jr.
August 14, 1943 - December 7, 2025
Ernest John Wegener Jr., of North Branford, Connecticut, died on December 7, 2025. He is survived by his wife, Faith Wegener, daughter Dr. Susan Wegener of Indiana, daughter Deborah Azarzar (Asher) of Massachusetts, and granddaughters Golda Azarzar and Bracha Azarzar. John is also survived by his sisters, Joy Karleen (Paul), Alice Herzig (Steve), and many friends and extended family members. He was preceded in death by his sister, Betsy McCaulley, and his parents, Ernie and Barbara Wegener. John was born in 1943 in Chicago, Illinois, and grew up in North Haven, Connecticut. As a teenager he apprenticed at a friend's auto garage and spent several summers working on relatives' farms, which bore a lifetime of stories and practical knowledge. He and Faith met at the diner he frequented where she worked as a waitress. Hearing the waitstaff mocking her with anti-Semitic slurs, he came to her defense. They married in 1975 and he remained a strong and steady supporter of her Jewish identity and faith. John lived in North Branford for the past 50 years where he raised his children and enjoyed riding his Harleys, working on cars, and watching Yankees games. John loved being a husband, dad, and grandpa. From family dinners to vacations in the White Mountains, to teaching his daughters to change a tire, John raised his children with kindness, playfulness, and unwavering love and support. He said that as a parent, nothing made him happier than seeing his children happy and self-sufficient. From 1965 to 1968 John served the U.S. military in the navy, which shaped his identity. He was a proud veteran and second-class petty officer on the U.S.S. Providence, traveling to California, Vietnam, Japan, the Philippines, and Hong Kong. Serving as a machinist in the ship's machine shop, he felt proud that his handiwork ensured the ship's safe operation. After an injury and honorable discharge from the service, John returned home to work at Sikorsky Aircraft for 30 years, building research and development parts for military helicopters. He was a skilled machinist, taking blueprints and using machines to build intricate, delicate parts that required precise interpretation, focused mathematical calculation, and polished production. John was excellent at explaining things; he was a logical, measured thinker who could break down complex concepts so that anyone could understand them. Though a post-naval career inventory found him highly qualified to be a teacher, and both the navy and Sikorsky offered him supervisory positions, his aversion to being the boss freed him to be the craftsman and mechanic that he was. John was generous. Knowing a friend or relative was in need, he would give quietly or anonymously, saying that helping people made him feel good. He could talk to anyone and would often strike up a conversation with a stranger, knowing the impact of a smile, kind word, or easy joke. "Dad jokes" were his signature; he sought to lighten the moment with a corny quip. He was always ready to help people, and since he could fix anything, he would often stop to give a ride to a hitchhiker, jumpstart a battery, or change a tire on the side of the road. John was a reader, most content to sit in his recliner with a cup of coffee and something to read. American history and all things mechanical were his areas of interest, and sitting beside him meant settling in for a lesson in one area or the other. While raising his family, his social life consisted of weekly time with his best friend Pete. Together they rode and repaired their motorcycles, and took an annual bike ride up to Schroon Lake to visit old friends. Later in life he got together for dinner and pool every Tuesday with the guys-the Dinosaur Club, he called them-and had weekly phone calls with loved ones. He also enjoyed listening to his records, 60s folk music, Dunkin coffee, and taking scenic drives around Connecticut with Faith. With longstanding ties to the West Woods and Branford Bible Chapel communities, John maintained the deep Christian faith of his parents. From his faith in God and salvation came the calm steadiness for which John will always be remembered and cherished by those who love him. A graveside service will be held in John's honor at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, December 12, at Beaverdale Memorial Park, 90 Pine Rock Avenue, New Haven. A luncheon will follow at Branford Bible Chapel, 212 Branford Road, North Branford. In lieu of flowers, John's family encourages donations to the VA Medical Center in West Haven (https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/52253675/), or to Branford Bible Chapel (https://www.branfordbiblechapel.org/).