Weber Donald E.

Don Weber passed away peacefully in San Antonio on December 10, 2018, surrounded by family and friends following a brief battle with cancer. He enjoyed 90 extraordinary years of life as a businessman, philanthropist, vintage car enthusiast, sailor, sportsman, husband, father, grandfather and cherished friend to many people around the world.

He was born to Marie and George Weber, parents he adored, on July 6, 1928, and spent his early childhood moving around the country, as his father built a career in the depression-era oil field. Don graduated from high school in Detroit, Michigan and attended Maryville College in Tennessee before being drafted into the Army during the Korean Conflict. He completed basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Kentucky and advanced infantry training in Hawaii. He qualified for Officer Candidate School and returned to Fort Benning in Georgia for officer training. Eventually, he joined the 198th Battalion of the 1st Armored Division as a young first lieutenant and company commander.

Following his military service, Don completed his undergraduate and MBA degrees at the University of Texas at Austin in 1955. He worked for Tenneco for several years before striking out on his own as an independent land man. In collaboration with several geologist partners in Colorado, he pioneered the exploration and production of natural gas in the San Juan Basin of the Four Corners region.

Don moved to Corpus Christi in 1963 where he remained for 25 years. During this time, he was instrumental in establishing the first public broadcasting station in South Texas—KEDT—serving as its first Chairman of the Board. He was then invited to join the PBS Board. Next in 1979, Don was the Founding Chairman of National Captioning Institute for the Hearing Impaired (NCI) in Washington D.C., and helped NCI develop and establish closed captioning to improve access to communications for the deaf and hearing impaired. He served as NCI's Chairman for more than 15 years and remained active as a board member until his death. Don was an avid sailor and also served as Commodore of the Corpus Christi Yacht Club. Long before Don left Corpus Christi, he was asked to serve on the Transportation Board of the Witte Museum and spent many years consulting with procurements.

Don moved to San Antonio in 1985 after meeting and falling in love with Mimi (Beach). Mimi and Don's 35-year love affair took them around the world on wonderful trips, cruises and car adventures. Their time in San Antonio revolved around family and friends with celebrations at their clubs, as well as the infamous Monday Lunch Bunch. Don and Mimi also spent peaceful times together at their weekend home in the Hill Country.

Don's passion for performance automobiles was legendary. For 19 years, he was thrilled to be invited to judge antique automobiles and Porsches at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. He drove his Bentley team car, originally owned by W. O. Bentley, at the Le Mans racetrack in France, where it was first raced by Mr. Bentley in 1925. Don later raced it several times at the Monterrey Speedway and broke speed records for "1000 miles in a day" in a pre-1930's car. He also traversed North America in his 1914 Packard. More recently, Don enjoyed driving in events like the Colorado Grand and Texas 1000, enjoying the camaraderie of fellow enthusiasts, providing colorful stories and expert advice to anyone who might have asked. Don raced his final race, at the age of 88, driving his red Alfa Romeo at Laguna Seca. He was extremely proud to say that he didn't finish first, but he didn't finish last.

Don is preceded in death by his parents, Marie and George Weber, and his son George Esch Weber.

Don is survived by his loving wife, Mimi Weber; his sons Richard Weber (Lynette) and Ben Hammond (Margaret); daughters Caroline Weber Menold (Christopher) and Atlee Weber McCauley; grandchildren William and Clara, Madeline, Millie and George, and Elizabeth, all who affectionately called him Big.

A celebration of Don's life will be held at Christ Episcopal Church on December 19th at 10:00 A.M. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions be made in Don's memory to Christ Episcopal Church, 510 Belknap Place, San Antonio, TX 78212 or Friends of NCI, National Captioning Institute, 3725 Concorde Parkway, Suite 100, Chantilly, VA 20151 or a charity of choice.