Timothy K van Wey

1949 to 2025

Timothy K. Van Wey, formerly of Salem, passed away at his home in Key Biscayne, FL, on the evening of July 26. He was 76 years old.

Tim was born on March 27, 1949, in Newark, Ohio, to William S. and Sarah (Evans) Van Wey. He attended Newark public schools until his family moved to Westerville, Ohio, where he graduated tied for first in his class from Westerville High School in 1967. He won a full scholarship in engineering to attend The Ohio State University, but decided instead to pursue an international relations degree, which he received in 1972.

Tim married Patricia V. Markunas in 1973 and the couple moved to the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio, where Tim took courses to prepare to enter a masters degree program in marine science at Northeastern University, which he did in 1979. He took a job teaching sciences at Don Bosco Technical High School in Boston, where he taught for 12 years until the school closed. He then took a teaching position at Andover (MA) High School teaching chemistry and biology until his retirement in 2014. In 2000, he earned a masters of education degree from Salem State University in Salem, MA, where his wife was a professor of psychology and where they lived for over 40 years.

Tim had many passions in his life, but a love of the ocean and marine life was a powerful one. He achieved certification as a master scuba diver and spent many hours diving in the Atlantic Ocean off both the Massachusetts and Florida coasts, as well as in Hawaii, Maine and Long Island Sound. A love of sailing in both fresh and salt waters dovetailed with his diving experiences. Tim brought a similar passion for teaching science to his students and he was a popular and beloved teacher at both Don Bosco and Andover. During his summers, Tim volunteered at the New England Aquarium in Boston and the Bronx Zoo in New York City.

Tim and Pat’s relationship with Key Biscayne began in 1985, when they first visited friends in the Towers of Key Biscayne. Frequent visits to the Key followed, and the couple bought their first piece of property here in 1999. A chance reading of a classified ad in the Islander News led to their buying their dream condominium in the Towers in 2008. After retirement from their jobs in Massachusetts, Tim and Pat moved here full-time in March 2019.

Tim is survived by his wife, Pat, of 51 years; his brothers, Shannon Van Wey (married to Claudia Lyons) of Durham, NC, and Nathan Van Wey (married to Jae Van Wey) of Canton, OH; and his sister, Lorelei Van Wey of Key Biscayne. Eight nieces and nephews have enjoyed visits to their uncle and aunts in the Towers over the years. He was loved and will be missed by all.

Funeral services will be private. A celebration of Tim’s life will be held in Key Biscayne in the fall. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem MA