Cary Weisner

Cary Dennis Weisner of Hugo passed away peacefully on Wednesday, April 10, 2024 at the age of 70. Cary was born on July 14, 1953 in St. Paul, MN to Charles and Corene (née Darling) Weisner, the youngest of three. He attended Highland Park High School and graduated in 1971. He married Valerie Kay (née Maslowski) Weisner in Kauai, Hawaii on October 22, 1982. They enjoyed 41 years of marriage and raised three children together, sons Nicholas, Brian, and Cory.

Cary started and owned Weisner's Specialty Car Repair in Hugo for many years and was known as an especially talented fabricator, bodyman, and painter. His talents were recognized on numerous occasions. A non-exhaustive list of his accolades include his bodywork and paint on Bob Reed's 1934 Khrome Shoppe Special, winner of the Ridler Award in 1984. Hot Rod Magazine featured Cary and his school bus yellow 1966 Oldsmobile Cutlass on its July 1986 cover. The car was later featured in the magazine's December 1986 issue as one of the top 10 hot rods of the year. In 2019 Cary and friend Fred Boucher were awarded one of Street Rodder magazine's Top 100 Street Rods for his 1927 Ford Roadster.

Outside of the car world, Cary enjoyed spending time with his friends and family. When the boys were in Cub Scouts he helped them with their Pinewood Derby cars. They may not have been the fastest, but they were the best-looking cars at the derby. He helped coach Nicholas and Brian’s Little League Baseball team the Hugo Hammers the year they won the Peanut Championship in 1995. One of Cary’s other passions was football. He and Valerie attended Minnesota Vikings games at the Metropolitan (Met) stadium before the boys were born. Later, when Cory played football for White Bear Lake HS, Cary and Valerie went to all of Cory’s games. This continued as Cory went to college and played at the University of Minnesota Crookston (UMC) (located in the middle of nowhere). Cary and Valerie often tailgated with the other players' parents, befriending many. Cary also enjoyed the trips he took with his family to the Brainerd International Raceway to watch the NHRA Nationals. The time leading up to the race was spent at the lake playing rounds of mini golf, racing go-karts, and grabbing burgers (plain for Cary) and shakes at the 371 diner. As the boys grew older, Cary helped them work on their own vehicles. In his later years, Cary liked spending time with the neighbors and dining with his and Valerie’s Saturday Night Supper Club, which consisted of Tom Sr. and Judy (Maslowski) Vollbrecht, and Joan Evans.

Cary is preceded in death by his mother, Corene; father, Charles; brother, Chuck; mother-in-law,Viola (née Molitor) Maslowski; and brother-in-law, Richard Maslowski. He is survived by his wife, Valerie Weisner (Maslowski), children Nicholas of Hugo, Brian (Annelise Doll) of Hancock Michigan, Cory of New Brighton and sister, Charlene (née Weisner) Vervais.

A celebration of Cary's life will be held on Saturday, April 20th at Mueller Memorial Funeral Home in White Bear Lake, MN. Visitation will be 11am to 1pm. A service will take place at 1pm with lunch immediately following.