Ed Weilbacher was born Feb. 15, 1938 in Seguin, Tx to Hugo and Josephine Gantz Weilbacher. He attended Seguin High School and enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard Oct. 15, 1955. After completing Aviation Electrician School at the Naval Air Training Center in Jacksonville, Florida on August 1959,he flew as a Search and Rescue Airman on the HU-16 Albatross and the HC-130B out of Port Angeles, Wa, San Francisco, Ca, and Corpus Christi, Tx. accumulating 1000 hours of aircrew time. Ed completed OCS at the USCG Training Station, Yorktown, Virginia February 1964 and was commissioned an Ensign in the USCG. His next assignment was Kodiak Island, Alaska where he flew as an Aircraft Commander doing search and rescue, logistics and supply missions along with support missions for the National Marine Fisheries Treaties. He completed the combat air rescue school at Hill Air Force Base, Utah where he qualified in day and night Para Rescue drops, equipment deployment and helicopter air refueling operations. He left Pease Air Force Base in July of 1974 and was assigned Coast Guard Air Station, Cape Cod, Ma where he re-qualified as Aircraft Commander in the HU- 16E. He retired after 21 years of service on August 1, 1976. After retirement he qualified as an instructor in the King Air 229 Simulator and instructed advanced instruments to Navy student pilots at the Navy Air Station, Corpus Christi, Tx. A graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he attended law school at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va. and earned his JD degree in May 1979. He served as head of the Legal Aid Office in Lexington, Va for ten years. After relocating to Pocomoke City, Maryland he has been in private practice of law for the past 23 years and was the city attorney for fourteen of those years. He couldn't get the Coast Guard out of his system and was active in the auxiliary serving as Flotilla Commander in Crisfield for two years. Ed Weilbacher is survived by his wife of forty years, Lindsey Weilbacher and their daughter Dorothy Josephine Weilbacher; two sons from his marriage to the late Mary Alice Saylors, Michael Weilbacher and his wife, Rosanne of San Antonio, Tx. and Nathan Weilbacher and his fiancé Melinda Combest of Dallas, Tx; sisters Ella Weilbacher Acker of New Braunfels, Tx, Bettie Weilbacher Ellis of Seguin, Tx: brother Al Weilbacher and his wife Gail of Cibolo, Tx; nine grandchildren Evan, Amy, Melissa, Christopher, Justin, Nicholas, Molly, Hanna and Stephen; two great-grandchildren Joshua and Steven, all of Texas and numerous nieces and nephews. Ed loved traveling, fishing and tending to his rose garden. He will be remembered as a man of character who rescued lost souls and stray cats. There will be a memorial Mass at St. James Catholic Church in Seguin, Tx at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, October 5, 2013. Friends and family are invited to the home of Bettie Ellis after the mass for fellowship and a celebration of Ed's life. Donations may be made to Rwanda Hugs at 630 Mountain Ave, Bedford, Va. 24523 www.rwandanhugs.com or the Guadalupe County Humane Society P.O. Box 1593 Seguin, Tx 78155 www.gchshumane.com