WILMINGTON — Dr. William Harvey “Bill” Weinel Jr., 92, passed away peacefully Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017. He was born in Asheboro, N.C., on Aug. 16, 1924, to William Harvey Weinel Sr. and Allie Vestal Weinel.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Robbie A. Weinel; and his only sibling, Allie Weinel Zingarelli.
Bill graduated from Spencer High School in 1941, and then attended North Carolina State for two years before enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Corps on Feb. 24, 1943. During his flight training at Tennessee Polytechnic in Cookeville, Tenn., he met Robbie Frances Ashburn, whom he later married.
Bill was a bombardier navigator in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater until the end of World War II and was part of the occupation force in Japan through 1946. He was awarded the World War II Pacific Air Medal, the World War II Victory medal, the Asian Pacific Medal, and after more than three years of service, was honorably discharged, obtaining the rank of first lieutenant.
After the war, Bill enrolled in Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C., where he majored in pre-med and graduated in 1949. He was accepted into the UNC School of Medicine, where he was a member of the first four-year class, graduating in 1954.
Bill chose to pursue Obstetrics and Gynecology, becoming assistant chief resident at The Margaret Hague Maternity Hospital in Jersey City, N.J. In 1958, Bill became chief resident of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UNC Hospital. He was certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, was a charter member of the Robert A. Ross Society, and a life fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Dr. Weinel relocated to Wilmington in 1958, joining Dr. George Johnson Sr. in the Murchison Building. He joined and became a life member of both the New Hanover – Pender County Medical Society and the North Carolina Medical Society. He served on the building committee of New Hanover Hospital, completed in 1967. In partnership with Dr. John Ormond, they founded Glen Meade OB-GYN, which is now Glen Meade Center for Women’s Health.
Bill was a loving and devoted husband, father, and grandfather. His wisdom, stories and love will be greatly missed.
Surviving are his three children, William H. Weinel III (Debra G.) of Raleigh, Patricia W. Thurston (Robert L.) of Wilmington and Laurie W. Wheaton (James J.) of Chesapeake, Va.; and his seven grandchildren, Katie and Will Weinel, Margaret Ann Thurston and Mary, Annie, Will and Hannah Wheaton.
His children want to thank Sylvia Midgett and Teresa Shellhammer for being dedicated companions and comforting friends in his last few years of life, and the many wonderful doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals who helped him in his final years.
In lieu of flowers, please consider giving to The Robbie and William Weinel Scholarship at UNC Medical School, Medical Foundation of NC Inc., 880 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Chapel Hill, NC 27514; or Lower Cape Fear Hospice in memory of Dr. William H. Weinel, 1414 Physicians Drive, Wilmington, NC 28401.
A visitation will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, at Andrews Mortuary, 1617 Market St., Wilmington. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 22, at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church followed by a reception in the church hall. A private interment will take place at a later date in Salisbury, N.C.