Stephen Michael Weddel
Stephen Michael Weddel, a former Sitka resident, died April 17 at his home in Phoenix. He was 61.
He was born Nov. 21, 1958, in Bruntingthorpe, England, the son of Charles and Nora Weddel. His dad was in the U.S. Army, and his mother was from Ireland.
The Weddels and sons Stephen and Robert moved to Oregon in 1960, then to Sitka in 1964, with two more children, Marie and Brian, added to the family.
Stephen graduated from Sitka High School in 1978, continued with higher education at Gonzaga University in Washington State (1978-1981), then transferred to New York Hofstra University (1981-1983) to finish his degree with an emphasis on political science and military history.
He served in the U.S. Army from 1982 to 1991, reaching the rank of captain.
He lived in New Jersey, then moved to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1991, where he worked with ATT, a trucking agency; Bank of America; and, most recently, as a field supervisor at Weiser Security Services.
Among his enjoyments were hiking and reading – he was a voracious reader, his family said, and a good conversationalist.
Stephen was preceded in death by his wife, Sharon; his father, Charles; mother, Nora; and stepfather, Arden.
He is survived by siblings Robert Weddel of Sitka, Brian (Stephanie) Weddel of Sitka, and Marie (Kerry) Adler of Anchorage; nephews Aaron and Nolan Weddel, and Kieran Adler; nieces Natasha and Mariah Adler, and Charity and Kaylahni Weddel; and beloved friend Lyn Snyder of Mesa, Arizona.
Funeral arrangements and celebration of life are pending and will be released at a later date.
In memory of Stephen donations can be made to Meow Cat Rescue or Wounded Warrior Project at the following web addresses: meowcatrescue.org and woundedwarriorproject.org.
