Portrait of Leigh Weimers

Leigh Weimers retired November 11, 2005, as dean of Bay Area newspaper columnists, concluding a 47-year career with the San Jose Mercury News. A native Californian, he was born in the Napa Valley in 1935, and graduated from Napa High School, Napa College and San Jose State College (now University), from the latter with a B.A. in Journalism in 1958. Weimers worked for several newspapers in California, including the Napa Register and Napa Journal, and contributed articles to Stars & Stripes, Europe, while serving with the United States Army in Germany. After joining the staff of the Mercury News in 1958, he served in such varied capacities as general assignment reporter, assistant city editor, founding editor of the newspaper's lifestyle section and, beginning in 1965, columnist.