SUNBURY—His name was William Harvey Wiest but today everyone referred to him as simply Bill. The Northumberland County Bar Association held a memorial service Thursday afternoon for the late Judge Wiest at the Northumberland County courthouse.
John Muncer Esquire, member of the memorial committee, “I’m thankful for the three legacies Bill left for us. He left a legal legacy. His legal tradition rolls on in Joel and Rachel. He left us a spiritual legacy. As you’ve heard, Bill was a man of faith, very devoted to his church. But most importantly, Bill left us a legacy of family.”
Sitting in the courthouse it was apparent Bill will truly be missed by his colleagues. Lori Hackenberg Esquire, memorial committee member, “His kindness, thoughtfulness, amazing judicial temperament, will forever be remembered by those who were fortunate to know him.”
Judge Wiest passed away in May. Everyone who spoke at his ceremony spoke of Bills mental toughness, gentleness, wisdom and most important his legacy. In attendance were friends, family, members of the local legal community, political leaders.
Here is the full resolution presented at the memorial service (courtesy Memorial Committee Chairman Atty. Tom Boop).
IN RE: The Honorable William Harvey Wiest, late a member of the Bar of Northumberland County, and former President Judge of said County
IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
CV: 2017-
TO THE HONORABLE, THE JUDGES OF SAID COURT:
The members of the Northumberland County Bar, who were appointed by this Court as a Committee to draft and present to the Court, a Resolution in the nature of an appropriate memorial to the late WILLIAM HARVEY WIEST, a distinguished member of this Bar Association, respectfully present the following Resolution, and move that the same be ordered to be made a permanent record of this Court, and that a duly certified copy be sent to the widow of the late WILLIAM HARVEY WIEST.
RESOLUTION IN MEMORIAM
William Harvey Wiest, a former President Judge of Northumberland County, and a distinguished attorney in his forty-sixth year as a member of the Northumberland County Bar Association, died on Saturday, May 27th, 2017, at the Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, Pennsylvania, from serious head injuries sustained in a fall at his home outside of Sunbury on Wednesday, May 24th, 2017.
Judge Wiest, known to most as “Bill”, was born on July 8, 1945, in Dalmatia, Pennsylvania, the youngest of three (3) sons of Nelson E. Wiest and Elda I. (Martz) Wiest. His brothers, Louis, known as “Jack”, and Roger, were ten (10) and five (5) years old when Bill was born. Bill experienced the life-changing loss of his father, who died when he was five (5). From age five (5), he was raised by his mother, who never remarried. In retrospect, it seems almost ironic that although he had no real father figure in his formative years except for his Grandfather Martz, he would go on as an adult to become a devoted husband, wonderful father, and a mentor to many young people who would come in contact with him throughout his long and useful life.
Growing up in Dalmatia, he was able to walk to school and in 1963 graduated from Mahanoy Joint High School. Although the first to admit that he was not a good athlete, Bill found success in music which played an important role throughout his lifetime. As a teenager, and later as an adult, he served for decades as the organist at Trinity UCC Church of Dalmatia where he was an active member until his untimely death. His musical talent lives on in his grandchildren as was so ably demonstrated during the community memorial service at Susquehanna University on June 3, 2017.
After graduation from high school, Bill went on to Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove and graduated in 1967. Although he started his collegiate career as a music major and did his student teaching in music at Mifflinburg High School, he switched his major to political science as he prepared to attend law school. Always blessed with a good sense of humor, it is probably best to not relate here some of the pranks and practical jokes that Bill was involved in as a college student in the 1960s; several of which were mentioned at the memorial service held at his alma mater.
With his degree from Susquehanna in hand, Bill went on to Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in Ohio and graduated in 1971 with a juris doctorate. It was in his law school years that Bill met the love of his life, Karen Eileen Machtley, who he married on December 29, 1969. Together, Bill and Karen would enjoy forty-seven (47) years of marriage. Bill always expressed great pride in Karen’s achievements and he supported her both as a teacher and later as a principal at Line Mountain High School. As a couple, they were partners and always appeared as best friends in addition to being husband and wife.
After law school, Bill and Karen returned to Dalmatia and soon purchased a house within walking distance of his boyhood home. Together they would have four (4) children, Joel, Rachel, David and Tobias. The couple would later adopt Elisabeth, better known as “Betsy”, Chad, and Patrick. In due course, grandchildren, Anna, Lilia, Logan, Maggie, Kaci, Peyton and Jacob, would arrive and become part of the family. In later years, Bill particularly enjoyed his grandchildren, and to anyone who would listen he would regale them with stories about how special his grandchildren were to Karen and him.
The Wiest home was always a “hub” of activity with children, friends and family coming and going. One never knew how many would show up at mealtime and it was a treat to be invited to the Wiest home for dinner where Bill would often do the cooking. In addition to his prowess in front of the stove, Bill was well known for his gardening and his love of caring for his flowers. He was also known to cause his married male friends and colleagues domestic trouble when their spouses would ask them why they did not cook and do the grocery shopping like Bill Wiest. Despite sometimes making one look inadequate in comparison, when Bill Wiest became your friend, you had a friend for life. He did not change as he grew older and more successful and never forgot his friends; many dating back to childhood, nor who he was or from where he came.
Bill and Karen also had a long history of hosting an annual Christmas party, first at their home in Dalmatia and later outside of Sunbury, where they moved to be closer to the Court House and their grandchildren. Judges, lawyers, Court House employees, friends and neighbors can fondly recall the great food, decorations and fellowship at the annual Wiest Christmas party which was one of the first and most memorable events of the holiday season.
Bill and Karen had their share of hardships, and in March of 1998, suffered the tragic loss of two (2) sons, David, a student at Susquehanna University, and Tobias, or “Toby”, who was a high school student at Line Mountain High School, in a cabin fire that claimed the lives of eleven (11) young people. A lesser person might have become bitter and withdrawn, but Bill, as well as Karen, faced these horrific and heartbreaking losses with a calm dignity that won the admiration and respect of all who knew them.
In addition to his professional career, Bill had many other interests; particularly with regard to genealogy and his German family heritage. He was a wealth of knowledge on all such subjects, belonged to numerous historical societies and wrote several books on genealogical research. Later, as a jurist (particularly during lulls in jury selection), he would frequently enlighten jurors, litigants and attorneys on the history of this Court and our County Court House, during what his clerks fondly recall as his “story time”. He also served for many years as an Odyssey of the Mind coach, which brought him in contact with the best and brightest students of the area; many of whom he would mentor; well beyond just being their coach.
Although marriage and family came first, Bill was able to balance his personal life while enjoying a long and successful career both as an attorney and as a jurist.
After law school, Bill joined with his older brother, Roger, in the practice of law from offices in Sunbury where he continued as a well-known practicing attorney until his election to the Bench of this County in 1998; the Wiests being one of the foremost legal families in our County and at the time of his death on May 27th, 2017, there were five (5) Wiests as active members of our Bar Association including his brother, Roger V. Wiest, who joined in 1965, his son, Joel M. Wiest, who joined in 1998, his nephew, Roger V. Wiest, II, who joined in 2000, and his daughter, Rachel Wiest-Benner, who joined in 2003; sadly only four (4) remain today.
Between 1971 and 1998, Bill had a successful and varied practice and a reputation for providing competent legal service to the residents of Northumberland County and beyond. As a general practitioner, he worked to serve his clients, was a consummate professional who got along well with his colleagues and always tried to find a fair and practical solution to the problems confronting his clients. He also found time to mentor young lawyers as well as Susquehanna University students who interned with the Wiest firm, some of whom have gone on to successful legal careers of their own. Throughout many of those twenty-six (26) years, he also maintained a private practice in his home in Dalmatia where he was well known at “tax time” as someone who could assist friends and neighbors getting their returns filed on time.
In 1997, Bill ran for and was elected to serve as a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of this County. Ten (10) years later he successfully ran for retention. He became President Judge of Northumberland County in 2014 following the retirement of then President Judge, Robert B. Sacavage. For the almost three (3) years that he served as our President Judge, Bill enjoyed a positive and amicable relationship with all three (3) of our Northumberland County Commissioners. Upon reaching mandatory retirement at age seventy (70), he became a Senior Judge and remained active on the Bench in this County, having heard a civil case on May 24, 2017, before returning to his home where he suffered the tragic fall which led to his untimely death three (3) days later.
Whether you were an attorney, a litigant, a county employee, or just an observer, it was evident to all that Judge Wiest enjoyed being a Judge, but his personality did not change when he went on the bench. He remained courteous to all and was both well liked and respected as a jurist. He personified fairness, dignity, justice, and decorum. He was always unfailingly kind, courteous, and understanding to all.
When he served as Judge, mornings would frequently start at the Court House with some social time with his clerks and Court House employees. As an avid reader, he would want to review The Daily Item, The Milton Standard and The News-Item before beginning his day.
As a jurist, he especially enjoyed his work with children of all ages. In addition to handling approximately two hundred (200) adoptions on the civil side, he was also known in criminal court as the Juvenile Judge. He was particularly proud of his role in creating the Juvenile Treatment Court which stands today as a part of his legacy in trying to bring treatment and understanding and not just restrictions and punishment to young offenders. With regard to juvenile matters, Judge Wiest was, in the classic Common Law Tradition, our Chancelor – the keeper of the community conscience.
He also enjoyed presiding at weddings and about eight hundred (800) couples, including his two (2) daughters and their husbands, have marriage certificates that bear his signature as the presiding official.
During his tenure on the bench, Judge Wiest handled a number of high profile homicide cases and he worked diligently to protect the rights of both the victims and the accused and to create a lower Court record that would withstand appellate review.
Never losing his sense of humor while on the bench during even the most trying of times, members of the Committee recall numerous incidents when the same was on display for all to see. In one well publicized homicide case in which he served as the presiding Judge, defense counsel, on cross-examination, asked an expert witness a hypothetical question that was timed at forty-five (45) minutes; certainly a record for verbosity in Northumberland and probably in all our surrounding counties. At the end of the question, Judge Wiest leaned forward to his clerk to ask if she thought he should direct defense counsel to repeat the question. Fortunately for all concerned, he did not do so.
As we gather to pay tribute to the late Judge Wiest, keep in mind that he is not leaving us alone. As we have tried to recount here today, he has left us with many memories. Memories are, in themselves, a form of immortality and Judge Wiest has given us many good ones that will serve to keep the past alive.
In reviewing some of our County archives, we note how the late President Judge Robert M. Fortney summed up a person’s life, at a similar memorial service. Judge Fortney stated in his remarks that in the end the most that can be said for any man is that he was a gentleman. To all who knew and admired the late Judge William Harvey Wiest, we can truly say that he was a gentleman. The world would be a much better place today if there were more people like him living among us.
The members of the Bar Association of Northumberland County join with the entire community in offering their sympathy to his wife, Karen Machtley Wiest, his family, and his many friends and admirers, who remain to mourn Judge Wiest’s passing.
Respectfully submitted,
Thomas E. Boop, Chairman
Benjamin Apfelbaum, Member
Robert L. Dluge, Jr. , Member
Lori R. Hackenberg, Member
John P. Muncer, Member
William R. Swinehart, Member
