SELINSGROVE – Music, Integrity, Friend, these are the words that were used most often during the nearly two-and-a-half hour memorial service held in honor of Judge William Harvey Wiest, or as most of the presenters and speakers called him, simply “Bill.”
Friends, family, and colleagues filled the Weber Chapel at Susquehanna University to nearly three-quarters full to celebrate the life of a man that is truly going to be missed.
Before the memorial began we caught up with Northumberland President Judge Charles Saylor who had a few nice words to say about Judge Wiest, “Bill and I go back quite a ways, we were in law practice together and, just a very enjoyable person to be around at all times. He will be greatly missed.”
Dr. L Jay Lemons was the first speaker, after just stepping off of a plane from Europe after visiting students, this moment was not lost on him, “Well we’ve lost another giant in our community. Judge Bill Wiest was a very, very good man. He was a person that was cherished for his friendship, and for his fairness, and the integrity and the loving way he lived his life. This service here has been a magnificent demonstration of that. From the size of the crowd to the incredible contributions that his grandchildren and children made. A beautiful service to witness and to be a part of.”
Although William Harvey Wiest was a very well respected man of the law, to a person who has never heard of him before, they may think he’s a professional musician of some sort. Countless stories of the many instruments he could play from piano, to the trombone, and the great singing voice he had. Lifelong friend Jill Billman says “As far as I knew, I had never met a boy who play the piano, trombone, sang and played the organ. As a matter of fact, I didn’t know any boys who even liked music, but for Bill, music was his life.”
Judge Wiest played organ for his church in Dalmatia from the age of 13, but as important as music was to him, Billman, and almost every other speaker said ultimately, it was the connection to people that Judge Wiest loved most “Bill knew thousands of people, and remarkably every person was important to Bill. I mean plants, animals, birds, but especially people. There’s no one that wasn’t important to Bill.”
From friends to colleagues, the celebration of the way he lived his life, and the respect for his integrity and fairness both professionally and personally was evident, but his real legacy was shown through his children and his grandchildren on this day. From the remarkable singing of his granddaughter Anna Maria Wiest, who sang multiple times throughout the service, and his younger granddaughters, Maggie Asa Benner and Kaci Elisabeth Grimm, singing a hopeful tune with Annie’s “Tomorrow,” to his kids and other grandchildren showing poise while speaking to the crowd about their dearly departed. Young granddaughter Peyton Wiest, “He loved his family and friends and he would do anything to help anyone. (He) was a great man and everybody knew him.”
One after another, family, friends and colleagues came up and revered this man, who seemed to be a friend to everyone. Judge Wiest’s son, Joel Wiest, broke up the somber mood by telling stories of a dad who wasn’t afraid to show his son his sensitivity, and his silly, crazy side, and share stories during summer evening walks, “It was during those walks that I learned of my dad’s wild side during high school and college, as we compared notes.”
“Amazing Grace,” a prayer and benediction by Pastor Jay Albright of Trinity UCC, and a postlude memorial to David and Toby Wiest, the children Karen and Judge Wiest tragically lost in a fire in 1998, closed out a very fitting memorial service.
We caught up with Joel Wiest after the service for one last remark and he told us, “My dad will be missed, not only my family but by the community at large and it’s wonderful to see how many people turned out today to honor my dad. He simply cannot be replaced.” (Christopher Elio)
