Arthur William Wesche

Arthur William Wesche, 98, passed away on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, in Durham, NC. Arthur was born August 13, 1925, in Astoria, NY to parents Arthur and Margaret Wesche. He graduated from Long Island City High school in December 1942 and went on to attend Queens College in Flushing, NY, in a Pre-Engineering curriculum on a tuition free scholarship. In August 1943 at the height of WWII, Arthur joined the US Navy. After boot camp, he participated in the "Eddy Program" for training as an electronics technician. Arthur went on to study electrical subjects at Oklahoma A&M and attended the US Navy Electronics school in Corpus Christie, Texas, where he studied classified Radar, Altimeters, IFF and communications equipment. Classes were held in a marine guarded compound where they checked in and out each day. In the fall of 1944, he graduated as an Aviation Radio Technician and was assigned to the Carrier Aircraft Service Unit 37 in Charleston, Rhode Island. In August 1945, Arthur was assigned to Air Group 90 and sent to Boca Chica, Florida where they expected to go to the Pacific aboard the aircraft carrier, Kearsarge. The ship failed the shakedown cruise and the war ended while they were waiting to deploy. In February 1946, he was discharged at a Separation Center on Long Island, NY. In September 1946, Arthur attended Queens College then transferred to the school of Engineering at CCNY where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in December 1949.

On August 1, 1948, Arthur married Hazel Lundstrom, and in February 1950 began working for IBM at the Brooklyn, NY branch office. In March 1951, their first son, Arthur Edward was born in Astoria, NY. He was joined by brothers, Kenneth William in December 1954, and Duane Costa on June 1960. Arthur enjoyed a long career at IBM, moving his family to various cities in New York before being transferred to Raleigh, NC in 1970 where they moved into their forever home. He retired from IBM in 1988 at the age of 63.

Arthur was an avid tennis player, and he and Hazel were long time members of the Raleigh Racquet club. They also enjoyed traveling, going to the beach, gardening, and spending time with their grandchildren

Arthur is preceded in death by his loving wife of 72 years, Hazel, his parents and his brother, Edward. He is survived by his three sons and their wives, Arthur and Maria, Kenneth and Diane, and Duane and Carolynn and his five granddaughters, Christine, Alexandra, Lauren, Natalie and her husband Reagan, and Nicole.

Memorial visitation will be held Saturday, February 10, 2024, from 1-3pm at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home on Millbrook Road in Raleigh.