This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, March 29, 2011 - John Ralph Weber, who followed his father and brother in leading the highway construction giant Fred Weber Inc., then sold the business to employees, died at Delmar Gardens in Fenton on Saturday (March 26, 2011) of infirmities following a long illness. He was 79.
Services for Mr. Weber will be at 11 a.m. today (Tuesday, March 29, 2011) at Trinity Lutheran Church in Chesterfield.
Fred Weber Inc. was founded in 1928 by Mr. Weber's father and was taken over by his brother following their father's death in 1963. Eleven years later, Mr. Weber bought the company from his brother, Fred, and led it for the next 12 years. His family said during his tenure as president, Fred Weber Inc. became the first company in Missouri to recycle asphalt and that Mr. Weber was particularly proud of the company's building of a 50-mile stretch of Interstate 44, from Kingshighway in St. Louis past St. Clair, Mo.
The company website notes that in 1986, Mr. Weber "decided it was in the best interest of his family to sell the assets of the company." He took the bold step of selling the company to the employees. His son, John Weber Jr., said he was determined not to sell to an outside firm.
"He felt so strongly about the employees; he loved them," his son said. "He took a financial hit on the sale, but he was adamant that he wanted the employees to have ownership of the company."
Engaged in the Community
Mr. Weber, who remained with the company until his full retirement in 1996, was equally adamant about community service.
Much of his time was devoted to Variety the Children's Charity of St. Louis, formerly the Variety Club, where he served both as president and international vice president, representing the organization all over the world. While president of Variety during the mid-80s, he appointed the first woman to the board of directors, created the first allocations committee and hired the organization's first executive director, as well as initiated several ongoing programs.
"He was the epitome of a perfect board member because of his involvement, support, time and most of all his caring for children with disabilities," said Jan Albus, Variety's executive director. "His efforts were all encompassing."
One of those efforts was Bikes for Kids, a program he developed and funded in 1995 to provide bikes to children who had never had one -- or who could not ride a traditionally built bike.
For his efforts with Variety, Mr. Weber was named Variety's Man of the Year in 1980. He was the first St. Louis recipient of the Catherine Variety Sheridan Humanitarian Award, which he received in 1999. The children and families served by Mathews-Dickey Boys' & Girls' Club also enjoyed many years of Mr. Weber's largess -- substantial funds, resurfacing of the club's tennis court and food for families at the holidays. For all of that, said Martin Mathews, the club's president, CEO and co-founder, he will be missed.
"Everybody at Mathews-Dickey mourns the loss of a good friend to Mathews-Dickey and this community," Mathews said. "His leadership ensured that when we called on him, we would receive help from Weber. He leaves everlasting leadership and commitment for others to carry on."
Other community endeavors included donating the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department shooting range in south St. Louis and the Fred Weber Inc. donation of the baseball field at Maryville University, named Weber Field. He also served as a sponsor of the VP Fair in the mid-1980s.
Mr. Weber served as president of the Cardinal Glennon Medical Center Board of Governors and as a member of numerous other boards, including: the Missouri State Park, the Associated General Contractors of Missouri and America, the Federal Home Loan Bank, Colonial Bank, Lutheran Family & Children's Service, Normandy Osteopathic Hospital, Greater St. Louis Area Council of the Boy Scouts, and the Teamsters Health and Welfare Board. He was past president of the Missouri Transportation and Development Council, a member of the Highway Engineers Association of Missouri Governing Board and a member of the State of Missouri Governors Economic Development Advisory Council.
In 1986, Mr. Weber received an honorary doctoral degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
A Humble Man
John Ralph Weber was born on Oct. 11, 1931, in south St. Louis, the youngest of Fred and Charlotte Louise Weber's two sons. After graduating from Lutheran High School Central in 1949, he entered the U.S. Army and served two years in Germany. After returning to St. Louis and joining the family business, Mr. Weber married Gloria Richie, who was elected a Democratic state legislator in 1993. Early on, the Webers made their home in South County and there they remained.
When his fortunes changed, Mr. Weber did not.
"He was one of those people who lived in the same house for 50 years," said his son, John. "He was a very humble man. He had dealings with the royal families in Saudi Arabia and England, but time with employees, sometimes dining on brain sandwiches, was what he thought important."
His modest lifestyle was a reflection of something his father told him: Never get out of the sight of the Anheuser-Busch smokestacks, meaning he should never forget where he came from and who he was. He never did.
In 2001, Mr. Weber and his wife, by now people of significant means, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch they opposed the proposed repeal of the estate tax. Mr. Weber cited the necessity of social justice as the reason for preserving the tax for the wealthiest citizens.
"There's too much difference between the haves and the have-nots," he said. "It's like the lords in the feudal times. The peasants never had a chance."
The couple said Christian faith and the desire for a just society transcended self-interest.
King of the Grill
Mr. Weber, who was known among family as "King of the Grill," also enjoyed fishing, hunting, reading and raising Weimaraners.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Fred, who died in 1997.
In addition to his wife of 57 years and his son John (Cami), Mr. Weber is survived by three daughters, Julie Weber and Betty Vitela, both of St. Louis County, and Ruth Weber (Tom Wilson), of Wichita, Kan. He is also survived by two brothers-in-law, George (Linda) Richie of Colorado Springs, Colo., and Roger Richie of St. Louis, and six grandchildren, Sarah, Rachel, Marisa, Mariana, Mary, and Sally.
Visitation for Mr. Weber will be at 10 a.m., with services immediately following at 11 a.m., today (Tuesday, March 29, 2011), at Trinity Lutheran Church, 14088 Clayton Road, in Chesterfield. Interment will be in Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials would be appreciated to St. Louis Variety Club Bikes for Kids, 2200 Westport Plaza Drive, St. Louis, Mo. 63146; SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center, 1465 South Grand Boulevard, St. Louis, Mo. 63104-1095, or a charity of the donor's choice.
Gloria Ross is the head of Okara Communications and the storywriter for AfterWords, an obituary-writing and production service.