It’s hard to say goodbye to someone who has been a bright light in our community for so long, someone who gave so much and so selflessly, and whose presence touched the lives of so many.
The Big Island community is saddened with the loss of Franz Weber, who recently passed away on April 17th from injuries sustained in a cycling accident. Weber was 71-years old.
I had the privilege of knowing Weber for more than twenty years, not just through the many events he helped bring to life, but as a true friend. He was the kind of person who made everything feel possible no matter the obstacles, who was always there when someone needed a hand, and whose steady, humble leadership shaped so much of what makes our community special.
Weber was a constant force of good all over the Big Island — you could count on him being out on any racecourse as a marshal and behind the scenes as a volunteer, and he dedicated his services well beyond any finish line. He always smiled and never expected anything in return. Weber’s passion for our Big Island sports community along with the numerous non-profit organizations he volunteered for — many with having a direct impact on improving the lives of children in foster care, those deemed “at risk,” victims of abuse and neglect, as well as individuals with disabilities — wasn’t something he ever did for recognition. It was what he believed was his calling, every single day.
Weber explained in a prior interview of why he felt so grateful. “I felt that I was really blessed and had everything I needed — financially, personally, lifestyle, happiness — pretty much living a life where everything I needed, I had. So, I thought it was important to share, whether it was knowledge or feeling good, or giving any resources to others in need.”
Weber was born in Munich, Germany, in 1953 and then married the love of his life, Joanna, in 1977 after meeting her in Lincoln, Nebraska, two years earlier while on vacation. During a phone call on Tuesday, his wife reflected upon the beautiful life they built together. “Our relationship was a deep one, never bounced from polarity to polarity, we were very centered and knew how each felt without even speaking. We had an unshakable core that could not be touched. In two years, we would’ve been married for 50 years.”
Joanna described her husband as humble, always positive, and ready to help those in need.
“He championed the poor and made it his mission in life to help those who were in need,” she said. “He never festered on the problem as he always felt there was a solution. He was multi-talented with a multi-layered applied intellect. So, he didn’t just think in straight intellectual terms, he was able to connect everything and do all of it together. He was non-divisive, always working to find a common ground.”
The couple moved to Kona in 1992, and after watching his first Hawaii Ironman World Championships that year, Weber caught the “triathlon bug.”
Something about the grit and determination of every athlete lit a spark in him that never faded. While he never raced a full Ironman himself, that didn’t matter — his dedication to the sport never wavered, leading him to become the event’s Information and Outreach director. For nearly 30 years, he was part of it all: volunteering, supporting athletes, showing up year after year with the same energy and passion as if it were his first. He became a familiar and beloved presence in the triathlon community, the kind of person who didn’t need a finish line to prove his commitment which won him Ironman’s prestigious Malama Award in 2017.
In addition, he volunteered his services at numerous Lavaman Waikoloa Triathlon races, Ironman Hawaii 70.3, all Hawaii Cycling Club events, PATH races, and fifteen years with the Jingle Bell Beach Run which awarded him the event’s Special Recognition Award for his outstanding community service.
Weber was an avid cyclist who averaged 9,500 miles per year and wore many hats in our community. He was the president of organizations such as the Hawaii Cycling Club, PATH (People for Active Transportation Hawaii), Full Life, VASH (Visitors Aloha Society of Hawaii), and Kids Matter — Friends of the Children’s Justice Center of West Hawaii. He was a board member of the Kona Crime Prevention Committee and Kiwanis Club of Kailua-Kona and provided mentorship to those involved with substance abuse and the criminal justice system through Bridge House Hawaii and Going Home Hawaii. Weber was awarded the Peacebuilder of the Year award in December 2024 by the West Hawaii Mediation Center.
Weber retired as operations manager for the Hawaii division for United Natural Foods after thirty years as an organic food supplier. In 2020, he founded Paying It Forward, a non-profit organization with a dream of making a difference by providing a platform to help raise funds for those in need. He didn’t want to be tied down by red tape or complicated rules — he wanted to be able to step in immediately whenever a child or family needed help, no questions asked.
As word spread around the community about his work, donations poured in. True to his nature, Weber put every dollar to good use, always with the kids in mind. He made sure foster children had Chrome Books so they could keep up with their schoolwork during the toughest days of COVID-19. He helped put brand-new basketball shoes, track spikes, running shoes — even slippers — on the feet of students at Kealakehe Elementary School, Kahakai Elementary, and Honaunau Elementary.
He organized repairs for hundreds of bicycles, handed out bicycle helmets to keep kids and adults safe, and stocked up on healthy snacks and toiletry items for children in the Kahaluu Housing Program so that no child went without the basics they needed to thrive. His favorite time of the year was just before Christmas, when he would deliver stuffed animals and toys to numerous households in lower-income areas in Kona so kids would wake up with a gift under their Christmas tree.
Behind every small miracle that brought smiles to children’s faces was Weber, quietly and humbly making life better for the next generation.
“We live in a great community and people are really good in general,” Weber said in a prior interview. “If you give them a chance to do good, almost everyone will. And I feel so blessed to be able to share what I have in a little way, incrementally, just a little bit, but it feels so nice to be able to do that and I know there are others who feel the same.”
Weber certainly left a legacy that isn’t measured in miles or medals, but in moments — thousands of them — when someone needed help, and he was there. The way forward for the rest of us is clear: carry on as Weber did — with heart, with purpose, and always with others in mind. A late summer Celebration of Life will be held.
Joanna shared two quotes Weber believed in: “It’s not the length of your life that’s important, but what you have been able to do for others.” The second is, “When you leave life, it should have become more meaningful than when you came.”
