John Weichman was a man for all seasons in Mobile. That was the name he put on his All Seasons Restaurant, which he opened in 1982. He died on April 25 at the age of 81.
Weichman was born in Des Moines, Iowa, but from all his local activities, he was thought of as Old Mobile.
John graduated from Iowa State as a chemical engineer, working for 10 years in that field until the food business called his name. After he opened All Seasons Restaurant, he won many awards in the food service industry.
Some of his awards and accomplishments include Fine Dining Hall of Fame and Ambassador 25 Award. He was featured twice in Ford Times Magazine twice as a "Famous American Eating Place." There were write-ups and features in major magazines about his Mobile restaurant. He served on the National Restaurant Association's Board of Directors.
John won so many culinary awards that his name became synonymous with the restaurant. It gradually came to be called "John Weichman's All Seasons" or just "Weichman's."
John was involved in difference-making community activities in Mobile, such as the Mobile Jaycees (which has a long history), Mobile United, the Mobile Area Chamber Society, the Optimist Club and the American Cancer Society.
Many law enforcement officers ate in Weichman's restaurant. He befriended them and listened to their problems. Weichman felt concerned about relations between law enforcement and individuals of the Mobile community. He cooked up (no pun intended) the idea for "Coffee with a Cop" and organized it. He also organized the Optimist Club's officer of the month program.
Those programs will continue, as will the memory and legacy of John Wiechman – a man for all seasons.
A memorial service for John will be announced. You can expect a world of cops there.
Jim' Zig' Zeigler writes about Alabama's people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at [email protected].
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