Charles E. Weilepp

Charles Edward "ED" Weilepp, of Topeka died Sunday morning July 24th, 2011 of natural causes. He was 93.
Ed was born September 15, 1917 in St. John, Kansas to Gaylord and Helen Weilepp. He was a single child. He grew up in several Kansas towns, and attended high school and two years of college in Ottawa, Kansas.
In 1934, he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout and personally received his badge from then Governor Alf Landon.
In 1939, he graduated from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
After the outbreak of World War II, he enlisted in the Navy at the Olathe, KS Naval Air Station as a seaman; however he was soon promoted to Ensign and transferred to a special Navy communications school at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. While there, he met and married Patricia Louise Sanborn. They were married October 23, 1943, in the chapel on the Harvard campus. They spent the remainder of World War II at the Quonset Point Naval Air Station, Rhode Island where Ed was a senior communications officer. He was discharged from the Navy in 1946 with the rank of Lt. Senior Grade.
After the war, he worked on newspapers in St. John, KS, Ottawa, KS, Junction City, KS, and McPherson, KS before accepting the position of editor in 1948 at the newly formed Kansas Construction Magazine, later to be called The Central States Construction Magazine. After 17 years as Managing Editor and Assistant Publisher with the magazine, he accepted the position of Assistant Manager of the Kansas Contractor's Association. He soon became executive vice president and general manager of the association and after 20 years retired in 1985.
While in Topeka Ed was a 33rd degree Mason, a Shriner and served many years on the vestry at Grace Episcopal Cathedral. He was a past president of the Kansas Society of Association Executives, a board member on the Stormont Vail Foundation and a founder and the first president of the Construction Writers Association of America.
Ed was preceded in death by his wife Pat in February of 2001. He is survived by his son, Kirk, who lives in Longmont, CO.
Mr. Weilepp was cremated. A memorial service will be held Thursday morning July 28th at 10:00 am in the St. Mary's Chapel at Grace Episcopal Cathedral, 8th and Polk, Topeka KS. His remains will be scattered over the Weilepp land near Spearville, KS.
Memorial contributions may be made to Exodus Ministries at PO BOX 2852, Topeka, KS 66601-2853.
Penwell-Gabel Southwest Chapel is assisting the family with arrangements.