Weber, Harry B.

Harry B. Weber, 82, of 1 Oaknoll Court, Iowa City, died Thursday, July 22, 2010 at the Oaknoll Health Center after a short illness.

Visitation will be held today from 2 to 5 p.m. at Lensing Funeral Service in Iowa City. Funeral services will be held Monday at 11 a.m. at the funeral home, Reverend Dr. Barrie Tritle officiating. Burial will be at West Branch Cemetery following the service.

The family will host an open house for Harry's life on Sunday, August 1, 2010, from 3 to 6 p.m. at Oaknoll's Oak Dining Room.

Harry was born the son of Harry and Maude Weber on May 4, 1928 in Blackfoot, Idaho. He received a B.A. from Princeton in 1952, and volunteered for the Air Force the same year, serving in Libya and Germany. He later received his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Indiana University. He moved to Iowa City in 1966 to serve as Professor of Russian Language and Literature at the University of Iowa, and taught in the Russian department for 27 years.

He married Nellie Ryl in 1961 in Chicago after a whirlwind summer romance while they both taught at Northwestern. They shared 48 years of marriage together, living in the Iowa City area, raising two children, and working together in the Russian department. Harry was a passionate gardener and genealogist, and worked for many years with the Iowa Genealogical Society.

Harry will be remembered as a loving husband, brother, father, and grandfather, a wise and caring colleague, and a steadfast friend to one and all.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed in Harry's name to The Iowa Historical Foundation, 600 East Locust, Des Moines, IA 50319. Please indicate in the memo “for WWXY Newspaper Clippings Project”, on which he worked since 1997.

Survivors include his wife, Nellie; son, Frederick (Smita Srinivas, daughters Meghana and Achintya) of New York City, N.Y,; daughter, Sabra Weber (Jeff Mills, son Trystan) of Santa Barbara, Calif.; and sisters Virginia DeMond of Sheridan, Wyo. and Katie Law of Lolo, Mont.

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