JOSEPH WEIDERT

      Joe Weidert lived his life looking for the good in the world and the good in all people. He treated each person he met like it was all he saw in them. He was a genuinely good and loving man. There are not many souls on Earth that connect, create, and sparkle like Joe’s did. On Sunday, September 13, 2020 Joe passed his sparkling light to each of us to carry on for him.

Joe was born to William “Bill” and Lorraine Weidert in Burlington on December 22, 1950. He was Bill and Lorraine’s third child, first son, and oldest brother to 12 (yes 12) siblings! His early life included all of the adventures a tribe of 13 kids could have. Some actually happened with their parents’ knowledge. Those years saw Joe’s personality and creative abilities take shape. At age 14, he played drums in a cover band along with his brother on guitar. Their first real gig was in 1965. The Beatles were becoming popular at the time but it was the “Rondo’s” who really shook the eighth grade graduation party at St. Charles Catholic School that year.

Later in the early ‘70’s, Joe would play drums on a recording of an original song written and sung by his sister on guitar. The song became a Fox Valley favorite making it to number 14 on the local radio charts – mainly because their many siblings flooded the request lines.

Beyond drumming, Joe formed a lifelong love of the outdoors … fishing and hunting at an early age with his dad, brothers, and brother-in-law. He spent a lot of time chasing fish, game, and fowl in beautiful places all over Wisconsin like his favorites in Burlington, Crivitz, Lake Noquebay, and Lake Winnebago. His creative skills in drawing and writing took shape in his teenage years while attending St. Mary’s High School. Joe left Burlington to cultivate his creativity and broaden his horizons at Layton School of Art in Milwaukee where he majored in Art and Design.

In the mid-70s, Joe moved to the Fox Cities to pursue a career in advertising, writing, and graphic design. He was a freelancer for many of Wisconsin’s most influential advertising agencies, working on many of the area’s largest corporate accounts.

Joe was the ultimate simplifier. He knew what mattered and what didn’t – in life and to consumers of a product or brand. You could see that in the many award-winning creative campaigns he produced over 20 years for clients of the Weidert Group, an advertising agency he founded in Appleton with his wife Mary Jo in 1984.

After they sold the Weidert Group in 2000, Joe went on to create other successful businesses including Brand-Spankn-News and later Atomic Tribe, which published an award-winning national magazine distributed to over a million homes in the United States. As a business owner, Joe had the kindest heart and a beautiful creative mind. He was a generous mentor, guru, and boss for the employees he considered as his family. He made work not seem like work and complex problems look easy.

Joe also loved and supported the communities he lived in. It was one of his many passions. In the 1980’s and ‘90’s while living in Appleton, he was instrumental in the development of downtown’s ADI board and creative strategy. After moving to Menasha in 2004, he consulted the city on a number of development, branding, and event marketing projects. He worked with civic leaders to envision and create the Sun Runner festival and Porcha-Palooza, a neighborhood walking tour and porch concert series.

His biggest professional passion was helping small businesses, especially local restaurants and shops. Often, he would work pro-bono just to help them along. He anonymously created and moderated the MyMenasha Facebook group, which promoted Menasha businesses, news, and events for free to over 4,000 local residents. Joe was a very talented marketer, creative writer, graphic designer, video editor, and web designer. He gave so much of himself and his talents to enrich the lives of those around him.

Joe was even a better husband, father, grandpa, and uncle. He married the love of his life, his muse, and creative partner, Mary Jo (Gehl) in 1985. They always said they saved each other. Together they were inseparable partners in life, creativity, business, and parenthood. Their love for each other was unconditional.

They co-raised three free-spirited, creative, and kind children who gave them six rambunctious grandchildren whom they adored. Joe loved all kids and their uninhibited, playful ways. After all, he maintained a childlike wonder himself! He was the kind of dad, grandpa or uncle who would play or fish with you for hours, read you books, or be the first adult in the room to reach into his pocket and buy you a gumball.

Joe was a rocker! He loved drumming and all kinds of music but especially the classic rock-and-roll of his youth. He liked any song really, that had a good beat. He spent many hours drumming and composing original songs on his Mac. He recently played in two classic rock cover bands as well as in a duet on cajón with wife Mary Jo on ukulele.

Joe was a rock for so many. He listened empathetically, open-heartedly, and always left people feeling better with his wisdom and humor. He made people better and inspired kindness, creativity, and appreciation for the present moment. In conversation, he would always leave you smiling or give you something cool to think about.

Joe was cool. Being around him was easy. Always. He was like a cool summer breeze or the cool side of the pillow. Joe was also fearless. He made beautiful mistakes and beautiful works of art. All were worthwhile to him.

Joe inherited three loves from his dad; sailing, cooking, and martinis. The first, he mastered because he knew the wind was in charge, how to let it be, surrender to it, and make the necessary changes in his course to experience the best ride. The second, he loved to grill, smoke, or tinker with soups, roasts, and stews. And the third, he drank them as he lived … straight up!

Joe has left his light to carry on to his wife, Mary Jo, his children and spouses; Andy and Shahla, Claire and Wally, Brian and Jen, his grandchildren; Darwin, Miranda, Edward, May, Eleanor, and Abel, his mother Lorraine, his twelve siblings, and many nieces and nephews. Joe will be sharing his light as he joins his dad, Bill Weidert who passed on before him.

Joe was the gift of a lifetime for all that knew him, but he wished for no fanfare, no formal celebration at the end of his life. Many of you who knew him, may feel shaken by the loss of not being with him once more. The truth is, no gathering, no funeral can capture his free spirit.

So, when you’re out for a walk or gazing at the sunset, tell him you love him, miss him, and thank him for the love he’s given. When you get together with others who feel the same pain, hug them and support them. When you start feeling better, have a martini in his honor and listen to some tunes that make you feel good. That’s what he’d want. Joe saw the good in all people. Celebrate his life by living yours to the fullest and sharing your talents and unconditional kindness with everyone, friends and strangers alike.