James Paul Weingart

He was predeceased by his wife of 40 years, Mary Elizabeth (Lagonegro) Weingart (m. 1982-2022) and her parents, John E. Lagonegro and Mary Jean (McCormick) Lagonegro. Jim is survived by his children, Elissa Marie, Olivia Anne, and Patrick Donovan Weingart, Patrick’s wife, Rebecca, and their 2-year-old twin boys, Donovan Julius and William David Weingart. Jim is also survived by his wife, Ilona Gasdick Hellie (m. 2024), his brothers, John Francis, Philip Joseph (Catherine), Edwin Bernard, Thomas William (Monica) Weingart, and many nieces and nephews.

Jim graduated from Notre Dame High School, University of Michigan, and earned a graduate degree at Catholic University. Jim was a naval architect and marine engineer, eventually transitioning in his career to program management for naval programs. Jim met his late wife, Mary, by chance, on New Year’s Eve 1979 and the two became engaged in November 1981. Jim often fondly recounted that he had actually met his wife at their school bus stop when they were children. The couple married on September 4, 1982 in Saint Casimir’s Church and celebrated their fortieth wedding anniversary prior to Mary’s death in October 2022. Jim was a communicant of Our Lady of Lourdes in Arlington, Virginia. Jim was a devoted father and strong supporter of Catholic education. Jim was also active with his son’s Boy Scout troop, supporting the troop on various trips and events. Traveling with the Boy Scouts gave Jim an opportunity to rediscover his enjoyment of water sports, and he took several trips with Patrick, Elissa and his brother Edwin to scuba dive in the Caribbean.

Jim and Mary welcomed twin grandsons in 2021. Jim took several trips to Florida in 2022 following their birth to enjoy time with Patrick’s family. Mary and Jim enjoyed attending performances at the Shakespeare Theater Company of Washington and at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. For the past several years, Mary and Jim spent time at their beach house in Corolla, NC. Jim loved to spend his time reading about science, historical events, political news and debating topics with his family. Jim always had an interest in space, and he took trips with his daughter Olivia to watch meteor showers from nearby State Parks. Jim recently fulfilled a long-time dream to follow his mother’s footsteps in visiting places in Europe on a cruise to the Mediterranean, with his now wife, Ilona. Jim and Ilona initially became good friends in the late 1970's while attending the University of Michigan and remained friends throughout the years. Following the trip, Jim and Ilona became engaged and they married on February 21, 2024. He fondly recounted the past year and the time they spent enjoying the cruise and visiting Ilona’s children in Ohio, Texas, and South Carolina.

A funeral mass will be held for Jim at Our Lady of Lourdes Church on May 11th at 11:30 am in Arlington, VA. Jim will be laid to rest in his hometown of Elmira, NY on March 3, 2025 with services and reception coordinated through McInerny Funeral Home.