John "Jack" Weitzel

1929 - 2020

John "Jack" Weitzel

Gettysburg, PA - John Kenyon "Jack" Weitzel, 91, of Gettysburg, PA, died Thursday, December 24, 2020 at his home.

Born October 29, 1929 in Elizabeth, NJ he was the son of the late John and Helen (Kreis) Weitzel. In 1950 he married Elizabeth Jane (Britcher) Weitzel, whom he was with for 61 years until her passing April 16, 2011.

Mr. Weitzel attended Gettysburg College for two years before attending announcer's school at Columbia University, at that time he worked for Chubb Insurance while attending school in New York City. Out of school he got his first radio announcing job in Lancaster and later worked in Chambersburg before landing at WGET in Gettysburg. In 1962 he joined Voice of America and worked there until his retirement in 1986. After that he did some part time contract work for Voice of America as well as at Johns Hopkins.

Jack and his wife lived in various locations during his broadcast career including, Lancaster, Gettysburg, and then Arlington, VA from 1963 through 1989, where they moved to Towson, MD, before finally settling back to Gettysburg in 1994. The past year he lived at Somerford Assisted Living in Frederick, MD until making it back to his home, as he had wished, and passing on Christmas Eve. The family would like to thank Hospice of Central PA for the care given to Jack in order to get him home.

He was a member of the Good Samaritan Lodge #336 in Gettysburg. He had an interest in trains and model railroading and always had a model railroad set up at his home. Before moving to Virginia, he had a side business of building model trains.

Jack is survived by his son, Douglas Weitzel and his partner Teresa Baker, of Frederick, MD. He was preceded in death by his son, Barry Weitzel.

A viewing will be held Wednesday, December 30, 2020 at the Monahan Funeral Home, 125 Carlisle St., Gettysburg, PA from 2-4 PM where social distancing will be encouraged. A graveside service will be held 10 AM, Saturday, January 2, 2021 at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, 725 Baltimore St., Hanover, PA. Online condolences may be made at monahanfuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial contributions be made to Hospice of Central PA,1320 Linglestown Rd., Harrisburg, PA 17110