Eugene Weyer Obituary

Eugene "Butch" Weyer

Jan 5, 1948 - Feb 4, 2023

Castalia

Eugene C. "Butch" Weyer, 75, of Castalia, passed away surrounded by his family Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, after fiercely fighting a brief and challenging battle with cancer.

He was born Jan. 5, 1948, in Sandusky, to the late Milton E. and Marie H. (Wobser) Weyer Sr.

Butch graduated from St. Mary's High School in 1966. After graduation from high school, Butch attended Lorain Community College for one year then transferred to Montana State University, graduating in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Education. He taught Heath and Physical Education at his alma mater from 1972-1986. In 1986, Butch left teaching to work for Riddell Sports Corporation which at the time was known as All American Sports.

He experienced the best of both worlds of football, driving northwest Ohio from Vermilion to the Indiana/Ohio border and as far south as Wapakoneta meeting with coaches every day to talk football and strategies, fitting helmets and shoulder pads on some of Ohio's best student athletes, and teaching trainers about the unique features of the helmets and shoulder pads worn by their football players. This job also offered the freedom to follow his daughter's educational and athletic endeavors. He was present at all of their school and college events. After 30 years with Riddell, he retired in Sept., 2017.

Butch loved animals and the outdoors where he spent countless hours working on "His Ponderosa." Whether it was raking, picking up limbs, mowing, or as recently as October, putting up chain link fence, he could always be found in the woods or his barn doing something. He took great pride in the large garden he planted for many years raising "prairie" tomatoes as several older residents referred to them (a unique flavor the tomatoes have from the soil they are grown in). He enjoyed traveling and especially in the winter out west enjoying the western mountains.

During his youth, he was very active in sports. He was a fierce competitor no matter what he set his mind on. In high school, it was the grid iron and basketball court. He lettered in both football and basketball at St. Mary's High School. He is most known for his prolific football career playing for Coach Bob Hart along with a great group of talented friends, classmates, and his younger brother, Ron. Throughout his career, he kicked off, returned kickoffs and punts, long snapped for punts, played quarterback, and was a much better running back and was the toughest linebacker in the Sandusky Bay Conference.

During his senior year, he set a new school record for touchdowns scored in a 10-game season which tied with Rich Kaman (set in 1942) at 18. At the time, he was the first St. Mary's athlete named first-team all-Ohio two years in a row on defense as a linebacker both his junior and senior years. In his senior year, he was the all-time leading rushing career yardage record holder. He went on to play football for coach Jim Sweeney's Montana State University Bobcats and linebacker position coach Joe Tiller, who recruited him.

After graduating from MSU, Butch was immediately hired by St. Mary's where he started on a journey to fulfill his childhood dream to coach football at his alma mater. Starting out in 1972 as an eighth-grade coach then moving up to the varsity as an assistant, he was hired as head football coach in 1975. In his first year, he was honor as SBC coach of the year, an award voted on by his peers. He coached through the 1979 season and returned as head football coach again from 1982-1984.

Butch's genius was in his passion to teach young men to stand on their own two feet and he refused to accept anything but their best. Butch was a highly organized goal-setting individual. Many of the area's finest football coaches got their start playing for and/or coaching for Butch. His legacy for excellence and teaching the game lives on through them and their former players. His greatest honor as an athlete was being inducted in 2000 Charter Class of the St. Mary's Central Catholic Athletic and Achievement Hall of Fame.

When his football playing days were over, you could find Butch playing softball in the summer. He played on several softball championship teams for many years, including Schlessman Seeds, Barone's Beer Barrel, Cameo, Brohl & Appell, and all through the years with Sandusky Elks #285 softball team, ending around the age of 50. The most fun he had was coaching his daughter's Pigtail and Ponytail teams simultaneously in the Castalia Recreation summer league from 1989-1993. From 1994-2001, he had one of the greatest challenges assuming the "head" coach role for both Beth and Beverly's successful high school track careers throwing discus and shot put. He always had just the right words and motivation to keep their minds in the right perspective for meeting their competition.

Butch was a life-long member of St. Mary's Catholic Church and life member of Sandusky Elks #285. He served on the Catholic High School Athletic Federation Board from 1989-2000.

Butch is survived by his loving wife, Barbara (Williams) of 44 years whom he married June 24, 1978; daughters, Elizabeth "Beth" (Mike) Hubans of Oak Harbor, Becky Weyer of Castalia, and Beverly (Tyler) Weyer-Butcher of Oregon, Ohio; grandsons, Matthew and Luke Hubans; brothers, Dale L. Weyer, Milton "Bud" E. (Carol) Weyer Jr., and Ronald J. (Sandy) Weyer; and several nieces, nephews, and other relatives.

Visitation will be 3-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023, at Groff Funeral Home and Crematory, 1607 E. Perkins Ave., Sandusky. Prayers will be recited at 9:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 10, 2023, at the funeral home followed by Mass of Christian burial at 10 a.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church, 429 Central Ave. Burial will follow at Graves Cemetery, Castalia.

Those wishing to contribute to Butch's memory may do so to Sandusky Central Catholic Schools, 410 W. Jefferson Street, Margaretta Township Fire Dept., 113 South Avenue, Castalia, or Back to the Wild, PO Box 423, 4504 Bardshar Road, Castalia.

Condolences may be shared online at www.grofffuneralhomes.com.