Recollections of Al Webber

Al Webber maintained a zest for life throughout his 104 years. He was a DuPont Co. scientist who also found time to devote to Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, volunteered at the Chadds Ford Historical Society, served on the Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board and spent time as judge of elections in Birmingham Township.

He was also a member of the board of the Kennett Symphony and became the symphony’s first emeritus member. Webber was the photographer for the first Chadds Ford Days and was an amateur astronomer — he was a fellow at Mount Cuba Astronomical Observatory. Webber also did lapidary and played trombone

Born Oct. 10, 1907, Mr. Webber died at home on Aug. 8, according to his obituary.

In October 2007, there were two birthday parties to celebrate his, then, 100 years of living. One was a public surprise party at Jimmy John’s, during which Webber gave his secret for long life: “All you have to do is eat well and stay in the right lane.”

There was another party days later at, what his sons, Al and Dave Webber, said was their father’s favorite restaurant — Hooters.

Webber’s daughter, Judy Stark, who lives in Pittsburgh, said at the time her father still drove and had a girlfriend.

Shirley Pritchard, a past president of the Kennett Symphony, served with Webber on the symphony board for more than 20 years.

“He was a hoot,” Pritchard said after learning about his 100th birthday dinner, but she had much praise for the man.

“He was brilliant. He was always very concise in his comments regarding the symphony… He had so many interests. He loved to bring in semi-precious stones that he had made into jewelry,” she said.

Pritchard added that Webber’s knowledge and understanding of music was extensive.

“Not everyone who sits on a symphony board knows every piece of music that’s presented, [but] he did. So, when we on the board had to vote on a piece of music, Al knew that. He was witty. He was kind, always very kind and he was tremendously supportive of the symphony and the symphony family,” she said.

Webber was the first emeritus board member of the symphony and the honorary position was established for, and because of him, Pritchard said.

Pritchard’s favorite story about Webber is that he was in his 90s and said he had to get home to make dinner for the kids who were already in their 60s.

Chadds Ford psychologist Kayta Gajdos also knew Webber.

“He was a Renaissance man. He could literally show a woman the moon. That is, in his backyard with an amazing telescope. When not being an astronomer he was a gemologist or an organist or a photographer. When my mother was dying of brain cancer, Al came to our house to show her his slides of flowers he had taken at Longwood. This sounds innocuous enough until you realize he was 88 at the time, and there was a torrential downpour which made Creek Road a veritable creek itself. Al detoured his way in the dark to do as he had promised, wanting to give some comfort of beauty to my mother that he had met at our holiday parties. Of course, Al was a delight at those events, so full of vim and vigor and always a twinkle in his eye. An amazing man who seemed to take on life as an amazing adventure,” Gajdos said in an email.

There will be a memorial service on Aug. 25 at 11 a.m. at Longwood Funeral Home, 913 East Baltimore Pike in Kennett Square. Memorial contributions may be made to the Kennett Symphony Orchestra of Chester County, Mt. Cuba Observatory or Bates College.

About Rich Schwartzman

Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.

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