Donald E. Wiesenberg, 89, died on Friday, Nov. 29, 2019 in Kingman, Ariz. A native of Fort Wayne, he attended local grade schools and Central High School before entering Yale University in New Haven, Conn., in 1948. He graduated from Yale with a B.A. degree in 1952, and one day after graduation married Barbara Warwick of Sherman, Conn. One year later, he earned a Master of Arts in teaching degree from Yale. Thereafter, he served in the United States Marine Corps in the Shore Party Battalion of the 2nd Marine Division. Then he became a Sales Engineer in the Mechanical Goods Division of the U.S. Rubber Company and later joined Phelps Dodge Magnet Wire Company in Fort Wayne for 25 years, retiring early as Vice President of Administration. Later he returned to the workforce as Sales Manager of Acro/Connor Corporation in Fort Wayne, finally retiring in 2008 at age 78.
While at Phelps Dodge, he served many years as a volunteer in the management of the Electrical Electronic Insulation Conference becoming its General Conference Chairman in 1981. In 1989, he received a Hall of Fame Award from that Conference.
He is survived by his three children, Mark (Jan), Matthew (Denise) and Sarah (Tom) Nitza; four grandchildren, and two great-grandsons. He is also survived by his significant other of many years, Vicki Craig of Kingman, Ariz. He was preceded in death by his brother, Carl; and his wife of 59 years, Barbara. Memorial service is 11 a.m. Saturday, March 14, 2020, at Messiah Lutheran Church, 7211 Stellhorn Road, Fort Wayne, with visitation one hour prior. Preferred memorials are to Cancer Services of Northeast Indiana, Messiah Lutheran Church or the Parkview Hospital Foundation.http://www.covingtonmemorial.com
