Wayne S. Weiler
January, 1932 - October 2, 2023
Wayne S. Weiler, long-time Alaska resident, aged 91, passed away at an assisted living facility in Phoenix, AZ on 2 Oct 2023. Born in Medford, WI in January 1932, he grew up in Marshfield, WI.
A natural athlete, he was inducted into the Marshfield High School Hall of Fame in the Class of 2007 for excelling in baseball, basketball, and football. After High School he attended Stout State University for two years before joining the U.S. Army. While in the Army Wayne pitched for the Fort Monmouth NJ baseball team where he compiled a 6-0 record. Upon completion of his Military service, he transferred to Montana State University on a Football scholarship. While in Bozeman, he led the Bobcats to a Conference Championship and graduated with a degree in Engineering.
After college, Wayne began working for Texaco in Butte, MT where he met his future wife, Rosemary. Wayne & Rose relocated to Anchorage, Alaska in 1962, he fell in love with the State.
An avid hunter and fisherman, Wayne embraced the opportunities that Alaska offered. When told that Texaco was going to transfer him back to the lower 48, he retired from Texaco and began working for Tesoro.
When the Trans-Alaska Pipeline began construction, Wayne joined The Alyeska Pipeline Service Company and graduated with the first class of pump station technicians. He worked his way from Technician to Pump Station Supervisor and retired after more than 20 years with Alyeska.
Wayne was preceded in death by his wife of nearly 61 years, Rosemary. He is survived by his children and their families: son, Kurt Weiler; son Eric Weiler and his daughter Alexis and son Eli; son Gary Weiler and his wife BreeAnna.
Published in the Marksfiel New Herold, Marshfield, WI, on December 17, 2023
Dave Norton
I enjoyed working with Wayne at PS 4 when he was the PS Manager and I was a Civil & Equipment Supv. He was always steady and his leadership style gave everyone around him confidence in doing their job. He was a signficant player in the the early days of TAPS operations. He will be missed.
Larry Shelton
No one outside of my family had a greater influence on the direction of my life than Wayne Weiler. In 1979, a few weeks before my discharge from the Air Force, after which my future was uncertain, I was invited to Alyeska for an interview to be a part of the project team for construction of Pump 7. However, the project manager with whom I was to interview was tied up in a meeting. I was asked whether I minded a substitute interviewer from Operations. “Not at all”, I replied, “as long as the project manager is OK with it.” The proxy interviewer was Wayne Weiler. Long story short, very soon after, even before my enlistment officially ended, I was a Pump 3 tech working for Wayne. So, began the unexpected career of a pipeliner that continues to this day. Along the way have been amazing opportunities I could not have imagined, and all because Wayne decided to take a chance on me. The only opportunity I regret missing was thanking Wayne properly.
Walt Brophy
Wayne was my pump station manager at PS4 from 80-83 or thereabouts.
He loved popcorn and always was munching popcorn as he went about his day.
Well, at one crew change Wayne was there and we all wanted the details of his day because on the way from Prudhoe
to PS4 the helicopter Wayne was on had an engine or transmission failure and had to do an emergency auto-rotate landing.
No one was harmed and the crew was relieved that he made it to us safe and sound. There he was and I remember we
wanted the details, my question was: hey Wayne, did you choke on your popcorn when the engine quit? He was
a good sport and always had his crews best interest in mind.
Cathy Girard
Wayne was the first PS03 Supervisor I worked with when I joined Alyeska. Ironically, he was on the wane of his career and I was on the wax. Because he was the first supervisor I met at PS03, his ownership and style imprinted on me as an impressionable, young recruit who couldn't soak up enough knowlege and insight. Wayne was a no-BS guy who also had a big heart (those two statements don't always go hand in hand) who sought to bring out the best in people. We had a lot of fun while working and that was partially due to Wayne's ability to be firm yet yuck it up at the same time. You were a good supervisor and person, Wayne. Peace be with you.
Wayne's son, Eric, does exception work here at Alyeska on the Systems Integrity Team. Wayne's transition was tough on Eric and his family; if you know Eric and are in CPW, buy him a coffee.
Bill Howitt
I first met Wayne when the first class of pipeline technicians came to Pump 4 in November of 1976. I was Startup Engineer at the time and among other duties I was responsibile for doing field training of the new techs and assigning them responsibilities for commissioning of the pump station systems as they were turned over from Fluor. Wayne immediately stood out as a leader and the one to go to to get things done. As we progressed toward startup testing of the first mainline unit Wayne along with several others took on the roles of Lead Techs although that was unofficial at the time. So, really just a few weeks into his field employment at Alyeska he was already exhibiting the traits and skills that others have already described better than I. From there he just kept on going into roles where he was the steady hand and leader throughout his career at Alyeska. I always appreciated that I could call Wayne and get the straight story on any issue or problem and he usually had pretty good insight on what the solution might be too.