Harry Weston

Harry Weston, 67, of Shawnee, KS passed away at home on Saturday, Oct. 12.  A celebration of life service will be held from 1 – 2 p.m. followed by a reception from 2 – 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019 at Drexel Hall, 3301 Baltimore Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64111.  Donations in Harry’s honor may be made to the charity of your choice.

Born July 1, 1952 in Bolton, England Harry attended St. Matthew’s Primary and Smythalls Secondary Schools, ultimately graduating from the University of Sussex with a Ph.D. in Chemistry – the first of his working-class family to pursue a higher education.

For over 40 years, Harry worked as a formulation chemist in the surface coating and paint manufacturing industry, primarily for Sericol, Inc., a former subsidiary of Burma Castrol, in both the UK and USA.  In 1994 he immigrated to the US to lead the effort to transfer the solvent-based technology from Seriocol UK to use in the redesign of existing products to effectively fit the US market for 15 years.   He concluded his career as quality control manager for Harold Payne Plastics for five years before retiring December 2016.

Over the past 25 years Harry happily acclimated to life in the U.S., eventually becoming a citizen in August 2006.  He learned to love iced tea and wearing shorts in the middle of a hot and humid Midwest summer, barbeque on the grill, 4^th of July fireworks, and to annually complain about tax returns and employee insurance enrollment plans.   Most especially, Harry loved seeing soccer – the sport he loved — become an integral part of his new country’s sports scene. (He did try explaining cricket to a few interested folks once, but finally gave up realizing it was a lost cause.)

Harry met the love of his life, Jane Ann, through a local dating service in 1995.  After “popping the question” on a weekend trip to Eureka Springs, Harry married Jane Ann in a simple ceremony followed by a memorable honeymoon at Disney World.  They loved going on “holiday,” out for dinner and a movie, and having good conversations with family and friends.

Harry was a true renaissance man – a scientist and philosopher with an imagination that knew no bounds.   A confirmed audiophile – Harry loved his stereo system designating Friday afternoons as his “music listening” time, anything from Beethoven and Mozart to the Traveling Willburys or Pink Floyd.  He was an astronomer, arm-chair philosopher and counselor, a talented soap maker and a very good cook.  A computer gamer who loved strategy games, he was a reader and movie enthusiast especially when it came to science fiction and fantasy.   He loved Christmas, a nightly cup of tea, old British sitcoms, summertime, cigars and drinks on the deck, British sweets and puddings, and spending time with his best mate, Jane Ann.

Harry was proceeded in death by his parents, Harry and Ivy (Crook) Weston and his brother Fred.  To miss and mourn him he leaves his beloved wife, Jane Ann Gorsky of Shawnee: daughter, Sarah Jane Weston of England, her partner Adam and three children: Meadow, Luke and Freya; step-son Simon Goodwin, his wife Emily and two children, Cooper and Dashiel of Lenexa; cousins Tom Weston and Derek and Mary Weston as well as nieces Emma Weston and  and Joanna Thorne and their families, all of England; his extended Gorsky Family of in-laws and outlaws; as well as friends both here and in the UK.

We would also like to thank all of our wonderful home aides who assisted Harry while he was ill including: Rena, Emelva, Alia, Deb, Skeeter, Chantal, Hannah and Jackie.

From the stars we come and to the stars, we return, my love.  Until we meet again!

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