Peter Charles Weinert

The family, friends and rest of the world lost a very special man on May 23, 2018. Pete, known by the family as Grampy, was born in Paris, France on May 1, 1914. He came to the U.S. with his parents in 1921 through Ellis Island.

In 1936, he graduated from MIT with a degree in chemical engineering then worked for Universal Oil Products in Chicago his entire career most of which he served as VP for Processing through which position he started oil refineries around the world.

After his retirement he became Petro Pete, Inc. where he traveled to many developing oil-rich countries teaching their engineers how to process oil so that they did not have to export it and then re-purchase it with precious money needed for basic services in their countries. In the 1940s he managed the Trinidad Oil Refinery that supplied high octane fuel for the allied fighter planes in WWII.

Pete captained worldwide sailing excursions with family and friends. In 1934 he started the MIT sailing club and was Commodore of the North Shore Yacht Club in Highland Park, Illinois in the 50s where he had a long and successful sailboat racing career. Ship model building was one of his passions. He built over 15 scale models of ships from scratch working on them past his 100th birthday. He also built, with much family help, an authentic birchbark canoe from a tree he had cut down. Pete declares his secret to longevity is his positive and enthusiastic enjoyment of life which he continued with his wife of 48 years, Jean, as well as his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The diversity of his accomplishments includes downhill skiing which he practiced until his late 80s. “Martini time” gathered family and friends together on a daily basis: particularly at their summer log cabin in Lakewood, Wisconsin, a family tradition that will be carried on. All were welcome, always. A second cabin nearby was an original homestead cabin that Pete and Jean rebuilt with only hand tools, then developed the property into a prize-winning tree farm where they were recognized as Tree Farmers of the Year.

A big smack-on-the-lips and merci beaucoup to a great and generous man, a role model for generations.

Pete is survived by his wife, Jean Weinert; sons, Jim Weinert, Walter Weinert, Ken Schulze and Mark Schulze; step-daughters, Jill Campbell-Mason and Pat Schulze; grandchildren, Terra Tomlinson, Soleil Campbell, Sara Schulze, Cody Schulze, Mia Schulze, Andy Weinert and Jennifer Duggan; great-grandchildren, Rio Tomlinson, Leah Dietrich, Alex Campbell Keck, Isaiah Schulze, Noah Schulze, Isabelle Schulze, Aviana Schulze, Emily Duggan, Erin Duggan, Jimmy Weinert and Ford Weinert.

Memorial services will be held at a later date.

Donations may be made to the Forest Larger Parish Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 129, Wabeno, WI 54566 or Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139.

The family is being served by Gorsline Runciman East Chapel, East Lansing, Michigan.

Memories and condolences may be shared at www.greastlansing.com