Friends of Vern Weigum to hold celebration of his life

When Vern Weigum passed away a week and a half ago, it left his friends grieving the loss of a man they remember as kind-hearted and generous to a fault.

That’s why several of them have decided to get together one more time to remember Weigum and celebrate the lasting mark he left on Lodi.

To that end, Judy Halstead, Lois Finch, and several of their other friends are hosting a gathering on Friday at Arbor Senior Apartments.

“Share a story, picture or memory,” a flier announcing the celebration read.

His friends will have plenty of memories to share, with each other and anyone else who knew and loved Weigum.

Finch knew Weigum “forever,” she said. The two met through the Lodi Historical Society and the Lodi Community Concert Association, both causes that Weigum supported.

For Halstead, their friendship went back even farther, to when they were both students at Lodi High School. Weigum was a couple of years ahead of her, but they were friends anyway.

“He was part of our gang,” she said, adding with a laugh that back then, a gang was just a big group of friends. So was Weigum’s wife, Lee Ann, who was a year behind Halstead.

“She was the love of his life,” Halstead said.

Vern Weigum had a gruff exterior, but donated tremendous amounts of his time, energy and plants to help Lodi nonprofits and build up the community, the pair said. One of his favorite moments was being chosen to serve as grand marshal of the Parade of Lights in 2012.

He was a strong supporter of local history and groups like PALS, and was devoted to his own pets.

Halstead and Finch are hoping anyone who comes to the celebration will share stories like those — or even just memories of all the times Weigum handed out one of his nursery’s branded pens or a plant along with garden advice.

While there will be no food available, visitors are welcome to bring beverages or a bottle of wine.

The celebration of life will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. Friday at the second floor Hospitality Room at Arbor Senior Apartments, 115 Louie Ave., Lodi.

NEWS-SENTINEL FILE PHOTOGRAPH Vern Weigum, owner of Weigum’s Lodi Nursery, showed how to trim and plant a tomato plant at his Lodi nursery on April 17, 2015. A gathering to celebrate his life will be Friday at Arbor Senior Apartments.