JOSEPH WEINER

WEINER JOSEPH (pronounced Wi'-ner), 92, (10/20/1927- 5/3/2020), died in Austin, Texas. He was fun & gentle with little children, and kind & selfless to family, friends and strangers, alike. In addition to playing with little children on their level (both literally and figuratively), he loved telling jokes and stories. A favorite story of his was his first story: He was proud that he was born into an Orthodox Jewish family in Washington DC and was circumcised by their synagogue's Cantor, the famous singer Al Jolson's father. He considered that his "claim to fame." He also would joke that, eighteen years later, after graduating from Central High School (Philadelphia) and right before the end of WWII, he joined the US Army war effort just in time to guard German POWs that were being held stateside (who, he said, were no trouble because they knew they were going home soon). He had lost his father before he was 13, and his now-single mom moved him and his 2 younger sisters to Philadelphia, where he would happily spend most of his life. After his stint in the Army, he began working for the federal government, first briefly for the Social Security Administration (SSA), then the IRS. He earned a BS (Business) from Temple University after 8 years of night school while working full time. It had to be hard, but no one remembered him ever complaining. While at the SSA, he had met and married the love of his life, Adele née Shecktor, of blessed memory. They were considered by many the perfect couple, and they were devoted to each other until separated by her death after almost 60 years of marriage. He had retired from the IRS after 30 years of service, and then worked for PA Wage & Hour, investigating and protecting workers' rights, before finally retiring to spend his life with his beloved Adele. After her death, he moved to Austin, Texas to be closer to his son, Scott, and his family. While there, he lived at Brookdale Gaines Ranch, where the residents and employees loved his daily (sometimes groaner) jokes and smiling face. In addition to his wife, Adele, he was preceded in death by his parents (Zelig and Ethel nee Brint Weiner), his sister (Shirley nee Weiner Susson) & her husband (Marvin) & their son (Steve). He is and will remembered by his family and friends, and all with whom he came in contact, including his sister & her husband (Janet nee Weiner & Jules Polsky), his son (Scott Weiner) & his ex-wife that Joe & Adele always thought of as their adult daughter (Lisa Dean), his grandchildren (Ben Weiner & Abbi Sims), his great granddaughter (Elliott Seyer), and his many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. There is nothing better to say about a person than: He was a man and a mensch. The world is a better place, and we are all better people, because he was here. May his memory be a blessing.