Leonard Wesley Weis

Leonard Wesley Weis was born February 13, 1966 at Holy Cross Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah to Carma Ranaud Williams and Leonard Henry Schaefer. His parents divorced when he was quite young. At seven, his mother Carma remarried William Talmadge (Tal) Weis. Tal Weis formally adopted Wes when he was ten years old and changed his name from Leonard Wesley Schaefer to Leonard Wesley Weis.

When he was a young teenager, Wes spent many summers at his uncle’s farm, hauling hay, milking cows and performing other manual labor where he developed a strong work ethic. He spent countless hours at Tal’s shop repairing and rebuilding motors. As a young man he had many jobs, including a work mission, working on a railroad, at a cabinet shop, a horse racetrack, and eventually he found a position at Western Precision, a machine shop. Later he earned his journeyman’s license and became a professional plumber working at UMC for years before he landed the job he would have for the rest of his life, working as a Master plumber and service technician at Pacific Water Inc. Whatever he did, Wes took pride in performing each task at the highest level of quality. He was meticulous and obsessively organized in his workspace. He refused to cut corners and strove to live up to the ideals he set for himself. He had integrity and kept his word and expected others to have the same ethic.

When Wes was seventeen years old, he suffered an injury after a young horse kicked him and doctors warned him he might not have children. This was a big concern as he always wanted to have kids, but he needn’t have worried as he fathered many children. He wanted to get married as a young man but strongly believed he needed to marry the right person. That conviction was tested as he remained a bachelor until he was nearly 35 years old. The right person came along in 2001 when he married Rhoda A. Naylor and together they had nine children. Sometime later, Wes received another miracle and had the privilege of entering plural marriage. He married Margaret Wall in 2010 and the two of them had four children.

Wes loved his children and enjoyed doing special things with each one of them. He would individualize his interactions with them so that each child felt recognized. In an effort to ensure family unity, Wes took on cooking Sunday dinners. Even though he was playful and fun-loving, he was also an authority figure for his kids and at times could even be stern. He wanted his children to be respectful and well behaved. But he loved each one of them and was especially proud that he had several redheads.

Wes was a peacekeeper and didn’t like confrontation. He was careful and considerate and always tried to do the right thing. He cared deeply about others and wasn’t afraid to ask how someone was feeling. He was close to all of his brothers and sisters, reaching out to them regularly, even though they were far apart. There was a unique bond between Wes and his sister Tammy, who was only 11 months younger than him, and the two of them remained close throughout the years. Wes made connections with people wherever he went as he was friendly and always quick with a smile. There was a bit of mischief in his eye when he grinned, and he enjoyed making others laugh.

Wes was devout and believed in his religion with his whole heart. He was devoted to his community and was always striving to improve himself, to serve more fully and to be a better man. His commitment to his religion and to his family was complete and unwavering. In return, he found brotherhood and belonging in his religious life and a fellowship of community that supported him to the end.

On February 3, 2021, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of thyroid cancer. At the outset, he was hopeful and determined to beat it. He endured painful treatments and surgeries, some of them experimental, hoping to overcome the disease. He almost died three times, but through several blessings and the devoted prayers of his community, God saw fit to give his family more time. Throughout his illness, Wes remained optimistic. When he was at the hospital and dealing with medical personnel, he was the model patient. He always said thank you and remained pleasant and affable, even when he was in pain. He made jokes with the doctors and nurses and never lost his sense of humor. Wes grew as a person during those few months, from his diagnosis to his passing. He saw the preciousness of his time on earth and lived out his last days as fully as he could. During the days and weeks following his diagnosis, he developed more patience and tolerance as he faced one difficult piece of news after another. He stated more than once that if the treatments could not save his life; he hoped that someone else might benefit from him undergoing those treatments.

During his brief illness he expressed surprise by the outpouring of love shown to him and his family and was deeply humbled by the kindness, generosity and support he received from others. He was very grateful to the nurses and doctors who walked that last road with him, and especially the hospice nurses who showed such kindness and grace. Wes wanted to pass on to others, especially his children, something he learned through his sickness. “No matter what the situation, Life is worth fighting for.” By the end, Wes had come to a place of peace with his illness and surrendered his life to God, willing to accept whatever was waiting for him.

Early afternoon on May 16, 2021 at 55, Wes took his last breath and peacefully passed to the other side. He leaves behind his two wives Rhoda and Margaret and 13 children, Katherine, Jeanette, Leonard, Alfred, Kimberley, Myrna, Heather, Roy, Alex, Mary, Peter, Rebecca and Annette. He is preceded in death by his mother Carma, adoptive father Talmadge, his brothers Martin and Michael.

He is survived by his biological father Leonard, his brothers Steven, Kevin, William, John, Jason, Leroy, Brandon and Edward, his sisters Robin, Tammy, Melissa and Barbara and leaves behind a big, diverse family that he was proud to call his own with many beloved uncles and aunts, nieces and nephews, cousins and extended family spread all over the United States. He will be dearly missed and leaves a giant hole in the center of his family that will never be filled.

A public viewing will be held on Thursday, May 20, 2021 from 6:00-8:00 pm at Riverton Larkin Mortuary (3688 W 12600 S, Riverton, UT 84065) followed by a funeral at the same location on Saturday, May 22, 2021 at 11:00 am. There will be NO public viewing on Saturday prior to the funeral. The family has requested appropriate and modest attire in honor of Wes.

Interment will be held at Memorial Mountain View Cemetery at 3115 E Bengal Blvd. Cottonwood Heights Utah 84121.