Herbert “Herbie” Wiener

It is with a broken heart that we say goodbye to Herbert “Herbie” Wiener of Needham, MA. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Florence, his daughters Michele Sharaf and Beth Wiener, and his grandsons Benjamin and Daniel Sharaf. Herbie lost a short battle with pneumonia a few weeks after his 98th birthday. A WWII veteran and Purple Heart recipient, Herbie was a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend.

A 1951 graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Herbie had lifelong thirst for knowledge. Despite an effortless everyman appeal, he was an intellectual at heart. He loved opera and classical music, read the newspaper cover-to-cover every day, consumed documentaries and public broadcasting religiously, followed politics and world events closely and was determined to master his iPhone.

While his family defined Herbie more than his work, early in his life he was a union man with The International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union. Subsequently, he worked alongside his father-in-law in his auto salvage business. At the end of his father-in-law’s life, Herbie cared for him like a natural born son – just another quiet testament of his love and devotion for his wife, Florence. Herbie continued working the auto salvage business for another 25 years well into his 90s until the day it was sold just a few years ago.

He was a voracious reader with an encyclopedic memory and whip smart sense of humor. An easy-going social butterfly, Herbie didn’t have a judgmental bone in his body – rarely did a mean word come out of his mouth. He believed in charitable giving, never took the last piece without asking and had a strong sense of right and wrong.

Doctors often marveled at his resilience and had the pneumonia not taken him, he would have easily celebrated his 100th birthday. Words cannot express how deeply he will be missed. Herbie left an indelible mark on this world and he will be remembered fondly by those who knew him.

Graveside service at Sharon Memorial Park, 40 Dedham St., Sharon, MA on Sunday, April 28, 2024 at 11:45 am. In lieu of flowers, donations in Herbert’s memory may be made to the Anti Defamation League, www.adl.org. or the Needham Senior Center, 300 Hillside Ave., Needham, MA 02494