NORMAN WEISS

Norman Weiss passed away on August 23rd, in Naples, FL, where he had been living with his wife, Lois.  His funeral will take place Rosenberg Funeral Home in Wilkes Barre on Sunday, August 26th, at 1:00pm, with burial afterwards at Temple Israel Cemetery in Swoyersville. Shiva will be observed at the home of Ronne and Joel Zitofsky, 44 S. River St., Wilkes Barre, from 7-9pm on Sunday night  only.

Norman was born in Daytona Beach Florida in 1926, to parents Theresa (Tess) and Aaron Weiss.  He grew up in Wilkes Barre and Kingston PA, attended Wyoming Seminary for high school, and entered West Point Military Academy at age 17.  Upon graduation in 1946, Norman served in the US Army in the Quartermaster’s Corp and as a paratrooper, eventually rising to the rank of Captain.  He served in the occupation of Berlin, Germany, through the Berlin Airlift following the end of World War II.

Norman married Zelda Klein, a childhood friend, who passed away in 2005.  They were among the first Americans to be married in Germany after the war and celebrated their marriage there with a wedding cake shipped by airfreight from Kingston PA.

Norman and Zelda had three children, James (born in Germany), Susan and Jeffrey.  Jim unexpectedly passed away in 2010.  Norman is survived by his sister Nancy Weiss Klein, his brother, Herbert Weiss (Eleanore Weiss), and by his two remaining children, Susan (and Judd) Shoval and Jeffrey (and Nancy Freeman) Weiss, his daughter-in-law, Lynn Weiss, 10 grandchildren, and 9 great-grandchildren.  Norman was married again to Lois Lane, and they celebrated their 11th anniversary last May.    

Norman studied law at Loyola University in California, clerked for four years at the Rosenn Jenkins and Greenwald law firm in Wilkes Barre, and passed the PA bar exam in 1960.  He subsequently moved on to working at the family-owned Triangle Shoe Company where he worked initially as a sales manager and then for many years in real estate.

Norman also founded Narrows Realty and Weiss Development Corp., both of which developed commercial real estate projects, primarily in NE PA.  His most visible project was as the original developer of the Narrows Shopping Center in Edwardsville, PA.  He built a housing development (The Mushroom Farm) in the Poconos and a mobile home village called Lakewood Gardens in Inkerman, PA.

Norman was involved with a number of civic, religious and not-for-profit organizations in the Wilkes Barre area.  He was a member of Rotary, the Masons and Temple Israel, and he spent many years on the board of Wilkes College (now Wilkes University) and remained involved as a Director Emeritus.

Norman had a passion for living life to the fullest, and was an avid private pilot, as well as an athlete well into his mid-80s, swimming and playing tennis regularly, unless he was skiing, playing squash or golf!  He lived by the motto “Strong Body, Strong Mind” and it served him very well for many years.

Memorial contributions may be made to Temple Israel, Wilkes-Barre, in Normans Memory, or charity of donor's choice.

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