Birth date: May 3, 1966 Death date: Aug 21, 2024
Ed Kenneth Wietholder, 58, of South Park, passed away at home surrounded by his loving family on Wednesday, August 21, 2024. Ed is survived by his beloved wife and highschool sweetheart of 34 years, Julie (DuScheid) Wietholder. B Read Obituary
Ed was such a great guy, and a fantastic coach. He taught me so much about being a coach and leader of young people. As my son said, \"Coach Ed was everyone's coach.\" Ed did so much to make young men and women better - physically, mentally & morally. He was truly one of a kind and will be sorely missed.
Ed and Julie were such an integral part of our lives. We met under unusual circumstances. Our newborn son, Steve needed a heart transplant and as it was Ed was key to Steve’s success in the OR as Ed was the profusionist on Steve’s case. Julie became a key player as well as she was Steve’s nurse in NICU.
Ed and Julie became our friends and were incredibly good to us from there on. Ed always carried such a positive aura about him. They were blessed to have each other.
God bless you, Ed. See you on the other side. 💕
May 16, 2023
Les and I met Ed in Kindergarten and we have a million great memories of the Legend! Playing basketball and football in his yard, hitting rotten apples with a wiffle ball bat from his crab apple tree, lifting weights in his cellar, lifting trees and rocks in the woods, playing sports at St. Wendelin's, training for the presidential physical fitness award (well, at least Ed trained). And as many of you know he was an avid reader his entire life - not only did he read his monthly Joe Weider Muscle Magazine, but prior to the internet, the best we had was the encyclopedia and Ed read his World Book Encyclopedia cover to cover (and I'm pretty sure he did it every year). I seem to recall he also read the dictionary as well as numerous books in his endless search for knowledge. We golfed at Tower Vue, we played football for the Brentwood Dukes in 7th grade, we were in a bowling league at Princess Lanes (which I can't believe is still there), he trained a lot of us on weights and cardio in grade school and high school and we all ended up with a love of fitness thanks to Ed. My kids were fortunate enough to meet and train with Ed at SFAS when we flew into town once and he would be proud that they still keep the lifting tradition alive. I heard a story from Joe Cenna this past weekend that I never knew: when we were growing up, my little brother Jim and Joey's little brother Jim were good friends and they were walking along Custer avenue near where Ed grew up. They were being bothered by some older guys near the bar on the corner and spotting this situation, Ed came out of his house, told Jim and Jim to get inside Ed's house, and then Ed strongly \"persuaded\" the bullies that they had better get on their way. The bullies quickly came to their senses and moved on, and then Ed sent Jim and Jim home to safety. I can't thank Ed enough for taking care of our little brothers - that's just the great guy he always was. When we made it to high school he met the love of his life and Julie and Ed were named \"Class Couple\" by the Baldwin Class of '84. I never met a more perfect couple and a more loving family. I have a bunch more stories for you, but I'll end on this one: the pandemic made me want to reconnect with a lot of people and we decided to have a grade school reunion at Sunseri Pizza on Custer Avenue in May 2023. Before I flew into town, Ed called me and said \"Hey Foats, how about we meet an hour before Sunseri's and we'll walk around the old neighborhood\". It was a genius idea as Ed had a playmate in his trunk with a few IPAs - he poured them into some Red Solo Cups and we went and visited his parents and my grandparents in St Wendelin's cemetary before walking down Custer to reminisce about both the 1st-4th grade building and the 5th-8th grade building. From there we passed by Les' old house and then Ed's old house - and had some great laughs about all the adventures and situations we got ourselves in before walking down the path to Troit and then Meadowdell where I lived. We were fortunate enough to run into Joey Cenna and Mike Eiben who grew up on Meadowell also, and then Les joined us as well. We remembered playing football, hockey, and baseball on the street and all the fun we had. It was a magical moment and Ed was so happy that we walked down memory lane. Les then drove us back up to Sunseri's and we met up with Matt Flick, Mike Wiseman, and Dan Alexander who all went to St Wendelin's with us. We enjoyed pizza and drinks while catching up on old times and what everyone's family is doing now. I'll forever be thankful that we had that day with Ed, and I'm attaching a picture from that event. Thank you Ed - we love you and we miss you, but we know you'll be with us for the rest of our lives!
Sorry for your loss Juile.
My condolences to your family.
Rob Nelson
Ed was a truly unique human. He always had a way to make you feel like the most important person in the room. He was intelligent, loving, caring, altruous, hard-working (both in the pursuit of knowledge and fitness), and an absolute badass - all qualities you look for in a role model.
I was lucky enough to work under, and learn from, Ed for years at his business at Strength, Fitness & Speed, originally as an athlete, and later as a coach. He impacted thousands (likely tens of thousands) of people through the years. Every athlete that came through SFAS was not only a better athlete, but also a better person, having known Ed.
The world was a little better, little stronger, and a little faster with Ed in it. I hope you're up in the sky doing those brutal 20-rep squat sets and some weighted chins that you loved. Rest easy Ed. Thanks for everything.
Ed was the most positive, genuinely nice, good natured person I have ever known. I was blessed to have had the opportunity to train with Ed from grade school (in his basement home gym), through college and eventually working as a trainer alongside Ed. Those times were some of the best experiences and memories I’ve had as a child. He was excellent at his job but his expertise expanded much further than strength and speed. Some days prior to a training session he would ask if I wanted to go with him for a run. I was often hesitant because he would run through the steep terrain of Jefferson Cemetery. The workout consisted of Ed running back and forth in a zigzag pattern to allow me to keep pace. He would talk to me about things going on in my life while I was jogging just above a walk trying my best to catch my breath enough to answer him. We would often pass a portion of the cemetery consisting mostly of young children who have passed away. Every time we ran by the area he would say he liked that route because it reminded him of how grateful he was for everything he had been blessed with. I knew Ed was not someone who needed that type of reminding. It was clear that this core value was how he lived everyday; forever gracious and thankful. I know the “reminder” was his indirect way of teaching a lifelong lesson that I will never forget. To me he was a trainer, boss, mentor, confidant and friend. Ed will be dearly missed but never forgotten.
For the first two and a half decades of my life, athletics, specifically basketball, dominated. The sport was central to my identity, having grown up with a family full of basketball players and coaches. For us, it wasn't just about the sport that made it essential but what it taught you about life – grit, accountability, and being a part of something bigger than yourself.
Ed – and the culture he built through SFAS – embodied those traits, and he was one of the best teachers and motivators I had throughout my athletic pursuits.
To this day, some of the best memories from my basketball career are from my workouts with Ed and his team. Flipping tires, ladder drills, weighted broad jumps up the garage door ramp, Vertimax jumps until my legs felt like they were on the verge of combustion, and bar-hang core exercises that Ed made look so easy (without warming up) were, hands down, some of my favorite experiences as an athlete. He was a master of his craft, and the SFAS program is one of the only reasons I was as successful as I was playing basketball.
(If I could have worked out with Ed throughout my college playing days, I probably would have been stronger, healthier, and less injury-prone!)
Beyond this, Ed was sincere, deeply thoughtful, attentive, and an all-around excellent human being who will have a lasting impact on me.
Thank you, Ed. You'll be missed!
Jake Matthews
Julie,Jake and Josh your husband and father was one in a million. No matter the circumstance he always had a positive attitude and a smile on his face. I had the pleasure of working with him and no matter the time of day or night he was up for the challenge! You have my deepest sympathy and I hope you find solace in the many fond memories we all will hold in our hearts forever.
Dear Ed,
I wish you were still here with us so I could tell you just how much you meant to me. To this day, I’ve always seen you as a superhero in gym clothes. When I saw the link to your obituary in my notifications, I refused to believe it at first. You were the strongest person I knew, and I guess I just assumed you’d live forever—or at the very least, well beyond your late 50s. I don’t use Facebook much these days, but now I regret not checking it more often. If I had, I might have learned about your health issues sooner and made time to see you one last time to tell you all of this.
I first met you when I was 14 years old, at a very impressionable time in my life, and the impact you had on me is something I still carry with me 22 years later. Although I only trained under you until I was 17, you were one of the biggest positive influences in my life. During my teens, I was trying to navigate the transition from childhood to adulthood, and being raised by a single mother, you were the closest thing I had to a father figure. I have so many memories of training with you at Strength, Fitness, and Speed that I will cherish forever. As much as I value the fitness training, our conversations and your guidance meant a thousand times more. Even after I stopped playing football and my mother could no longer afford our training sessions, I carried your positive voice with me everywhere I went.
I have a distinct memory of training with you a few times in my mid-20s, convincing myself I wanted to give semi-pro football a try. But looking back on it, I realize it wasn’t just about the fitness training—it was about missing our conversations and having your positive influence in my life again.
Although one of the last messages I sent you on Facebook was about my current fitness progress, I never got to tell you that it was your voice and motivation that pushed me to take care of my health and lose the weight I put on when I moved to Texas. I wish you knew that when I excitedly messaged you to tell you I lost 50 pounds, you were the first person I wanted to share it with. In our last conversation, I sent you a photo of the Strength, Fitness, and Speed shirt you gifted me 20 years ago. Even though every other shirt in my wardrobe has changed, it’s the one shirt I’ve held onto and refused to let go of.
I say all of this to truly express just how grateful and privileged I was to have you in my life. Of the few people who have had a positive impact on me, you were by far the most impactful. To this day, I carry your voice with me every time I work out. It’s almost like I can hear you pushing me to never give up. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you did for me. You were one of the greatest people I’ve ever met and will forever be a legend in my eyes.
