John Marquart Weygandt

John Marquart Weygandt John was born in Springfield, Ohio on May 28th of 1922. His mother Cora, a former school teacher, and father Carl, an associate for the Railway Express Company, raised John and his brother Joe in loving homes in Ironton, Bainbridge, Ohio and Ft. Wayne, Indiana before settling in south Toledo. Both boys excelled in school, and John went on to Macomber High School to be trained as an electrician. A manager of the local Graybar Electric Company, an electrical materials supply business, asked if John would want to work in their Canton Avenue warehouse. John’s upbringing taught him the hardworking work ethic and he jumped at the chance to earn a few dollars and work in an environment having materials of his interest. This employment was interrupted by World War II. After High school John received his draft papers but he really didn’t want to march in mud, so he enlisted in the U. S. Navy. They sent him to several locations to become a navy pilot, and married his sweetheart, Frances Padgett of Toledo, Ohio before being shipped out to the South Pacific. His assignments took him over Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and areas around Tokyo. John was cited for his heroism in downing an enemy Kamikaze plane that was attacking an American warship. This year he was interviewed for an oral history of his wartime experiences for the Library of Congress. After the war, John returned to Frances in south Toledo to begin their lives and had four boys, Robert, Terry, Steve and Mark. John grew with Graybar and became part of management and helped move their offices to Manhattan Avenue. The company recognized his talents and he opened offices in Canton, Ohio before being relocated to their regional office in Cleveland. John missed the small city conditions and began the Lima, Ohio, Graybar office where he retired in his early fifties. John and Fran traveled extensively throughout Europe and enjoyed their retirement together until she suffered medical issues that limited her accessibility to travel. They also had a large circle of friends dating back to before high school. With Fran’s passing, John was fortunate to find Irene (Formally Irene Benington; Irene Arnold) as his new life mate. They continued to live in south Toledo, and have been married 24 years. They enjoyed their travels to their winter home in Fort Meyers, FL, and the comradery of friends at the All Saints Lutheran Church in Toledo, the Maumee Elks Lodge, the American Legion; VFW and other American Veterans group organizations. He died peacefully in his sleep on June 25, 2017, at Hospice of Northwest Ohio, Toledo. At the age of 95, John leaves behind a family of four sons; Stepchildren, Denis and Larry Bennington and Cindy Rahilly. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, June 28th at the Walter Funeral Home, 4653 Glendale Avenue, Toledo, Ohio, from 3 to 8 p.m. Funeral services will begin on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. at the funeral Home. Burial, with Military Honors, will follow in Ottawa Hills Memorial Park Cemetery. Memorial contributions can be made to All Saints Lutheran Church. Please leave your condolences for the family at walterfunelhome.com or on our facebook page.