WILMINGTON — 5-5-5-5 FDNY: This is a last call for firefighter Anthony Wiegand. May you rest in peace.
Anthony Wiegand, 71, passed away Friday, Dec. 2, 2016, at home with his wife and two daughters by his side after an 11-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Anthony was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on May 16, 1945, to the late Frederick and Anna Wiegand.
He was preceded in death by his parents; granddaughter, Meghan Elizabeth Schafer; sister, Mary Ann Donohue; brother, Thomas Wiegand; brother-in-law, Thomas Donohue; and nephew, Fred Donohue.
Anthony is survived by his beloved wife of 43 years, Diane; two daughters, Kerri Schafer and Kristi Nunn; sons-in-law, Brian Schafer and Chris Nunn; grandchildren, Cameron and Cooper Nunn and Paetyn and Teagan Schafer, all of Wilmington; and his two four- legged “boys,” Bailey and Tito.
Anthony served in Vietnam as a mechanic in the U.S. Army. Upon his return to the states, he was a tractor-trailer driver, later becoming the mechanic for the whole fleet. After his first daughter was born in 1977, he joined the brotherhood he was most passionate about with the New York City Fire Department. A job-related injury forced him to leave the job he loved and he retired in 1990 from FDNY, having served at Engine 67 in Washington Heights. Anthony was a founding member of the FDNY-Carolinas Retirees Association.
After moving his family to Wilmington, N.C., in 1990, Anthony became involved in St. Mark Catholic Church and School fixing and building everything. He worked 10 years as a volunteer for them and was eventually made to go on payroll as buildings and grounds director.
He retired from St. Mark in 2008, taking on the full-time job as his family’s jack-of-all-trades. If a plumber, electrician, carpenter, mechanic, general contractor was needed, he was the man we called – he did it all. Anthony never met a project he wouldn’t tackle or couldn’t handle. He was our own Bob Vila.
He had a great love for the beach and water, and spent most of his life captaining his own boat. He was a loving and devoted husband, Dad, Pappy and friend to everyone he met. He earned the title of “The Baby Whisperer” doing the job he treasured the most – caring for his four grandchildren.
Anthony’s infectious smile and crystal blue eyes warmed the hearts of many. His presence will be greatly missed.
The family will receive friends at a visitation from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, at Andrews Valley Chapel, 4108 S. College Road, Wilmington. A Mass of Christian burial will take place at 9 a.m. Friday, Dec. 9, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 6650 Carolina Beach Road, Wilmington.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The New York Firefighters Burn Center Foundation, 21 Asch Loop, Bronx, NY 10475; or Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity, 20 N. 4th St., Suite 200, Wilmington, NC 28401.