Eugene Weiss

Eugene Weiss aged 93, formerly of Penn Valley and Elkins Park, PA and Boca Raton, FL passed away peacefully on November 16, 2024. Born on July 23, 1931, Eugene, generally known as Gene, and affectionately called “Bulty” by his six siblings and parents who believed, apparently incorrectly, that this translated to “his eyes were bigger than his stomach.”

Born the third of six children to Louis and Gertrude Weiss, his early years were challenging for his parents, like many of that era, yet he considered his childhood rich with friends and family. Gene maintained lifelong relationships with peers from his neighborhood and from AZA, an organization where he developed deep friendships while playing lots of baseball and memories which he cherished throughout his life.

He showed early signs of entrepreneurship while helping his brother sell newspapers at a street corner in South Philadelphia. As with many large families, the siblings prioritized taking care of each other. Gene recalled fondly his older brother taking Gene with him everywhere he went.

Following his high school years (at Central and Olney), he joined the Army receiving his honorable discharge in 1962. While on leave in 1952, he and friends vacationed in Miami Beach, when he met Fran Weiss (nee Zell) who had recently moved to Florida and taken a job as an hotel elevator operator. It was in this same elevator that Gene met the woman he would marry. They had a short courtship and married in Manhattan in 1953 settling in Philadelphia. They remained married until Fran’s death in December 2020.

Gene’s chosen career began before age 12 on Jeweler’s Row in Philadelphia with his uncle teaching him the jewelry trade. After working for Lou Neff manufacturing jewelry for the retail trade, Gene started his own business (on Jeweler’s Row) which he successfully continued until he and Fran chose to retire early and move full-time to Florida. During his retirement, he was often called upon by friends and family to create beautiful engagement and wedding rings and other unique pieces still treasured by their owners.

While he embraced their time in Florida, the pull of family began to tug from the time his first grandchild was born and grew exponentially with each of the next two that followed. By 1994, he knew that he needed to uproot again to be physically close to the grandchildren. What special relationships blossomed! Regular weekly breakfast outings, countless sleepovers, dance recitals, and lots of watching of soccer, basketball, baseball games and tennis matches that resulted in warm, wonderful mutual love affairs. Nearly to the end, Jake visited “Poppy” 2 or 3 times per week. Though he had many close friends whom he adored over the years, in the last years of his life, he was quick to state that his grandson was his best friend. At her wedding, Carly said that Gene was the first man she ever loved. And Kara gave Pop such joy when he met his first great-grandson! He was over-the-moon proud of each of his grandchildren.

Family was always his priority and joy. He cared deeply for his wife, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, daughters, nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters, friends, and many others - likely in that order.

Gene was a man of simple, enduring pleasures. Food and Jack Daniels were his guilty pleasures - he would eat a meal talking about the next meal and a previous notable meal. One of his favorite annual traditions was a large family Thanksgiving gathering of Fran’s sisters and their families. At this year’s table, we will certainly raise a glass in his memory.

For most of his life, he was known to enjoy a daily Black Label Jack Daniels on ice. And sometimes two.

He had a complex relationship with golf and all Philadelphia sports teams. He and Vicki went to countless 76er games together. Vicki would take the train downtown where she’d meet him on Sansom Street. They’d have a delicious dinner that always included a Milan salad at Jimmy’s Milan, a restaurant where he was a regular and everyone that worked there knew his name.

For many years, he bought season tickets to the Eagles. The Eagles weren’t very good during those years. He could not bear to watch them lose so at some point during the game, often at half-time, he’d say “Let’s go - they stink!” She’s still not sure if they ever saw an entire game.

Besides golf, he loved playing tennis, dancing at weddings, traveling with close friends, and playing bridge. He spoke Yiddish fluently and tried to teach some to his children and grandchildren with limited success though Jake did get more out of this teaching than the others.

Some affectionately referred to him as “Professor Tact” due to the fact that he had no filter. He always said what was on his mind without regard to how his words might be interpreted by the recipient! Related to this was his desire to interrupt anyone speaking as soon as a thought came into his mind - regardless of whether it had anything to do with the ongoing conversation.

In spite of these quirks, those who knew him best described Gene as not just a loving and caring individual, but someone whose gruff exterior belied a tender and affectionate heart.

Gene is survived by his daughters, Vicki Weiss, and her children, Jake Poliskin, and Kara Lord (Ryan) and her children Jackson and Logan; Debra Jordan (nee Weiss) and her daughter, Carly Jordan (Ryan Emerle), along with her step-children, Desiree and Quinn Emerle. He also leaves behind his sister, Lenora Weitzman (nee Weiss), and brother, Allen Weiss. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Fran Weiss (nee Zell) and his son-in-law, Harold Poliskin, in 2023. His parents, Louis and Gertrude (nee Shukman) and his siblings Gerald, Irwin, and Sharon and too many nieces and nephews also predeceased him.

Services for Eugene will be held with interment at King David Cemetery, 3594 Bristol Rd, Bensalem, PA 19020, at 11:30 AM on Wednesday, November 20, 2024 followed by a luncheon at 1 PM at Ben & Irv’s Deli,1962 County Line Rd, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006. Those wishing to honor his memory can reflect on a life well-lived, marked by dedication to family and trade.

Contributions in his memory may be made to Jewish Federation Of Greater Philadelphia, LB # 4000, PO Box 95000, Philadelphia, PA 19195-0001, www.jewishphilly.org, or to the American Heart Association, PO Box 840692, Dallas, TX 75284-0692, www.heart.org, or to a charity of the donor's choice.