Dr. Brent M. Wedding, of East Third Street, Corning, NY, passed away peacefully on Monday, January 3, 2022, at the Guthrie Corning Hospital after a brief illness. He was a man of utmost integrity and quiet generosity, and deeply loved his family. He was 85.
Brent was born in Princeton, Illinois, on May 3, 1936, and was raised in the small town of Walnut, Illinois, with his beloved sister, Kay.
After graduating high school, Brent went on to study at Hamilton College where he graduated in 1958. Afterwards, he pursued a Ph.D. in physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The following year, he received a Rotary Club fellowship and spent a year at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, Switzerland. In 1967, he finished his doctoral work and joined Corning Research. He had said that coming to Corning was one of the best decisions that he ever made.
In 1969, Brent met and married a beautiful woman, Susan Viger. They lived kitty-corner to the place where they met for over fifty years. For thirty-four years, Brent was proud to be a part of the greatest glass research lab in the world. He worked in various positions in research, product development, and management. He retired in 2001 with 31 issued patents. His most significant patent commercially was for the Serengeti Driver and Vermilion sunglasses, although he was most satisfied with his filter lens patents that helped low-vision patients.
Since retiring, Brent enjoyed collecting antique and local art glass, cooking, doing puzzles, and listening to classical music, opera, and musicals. He was active for many years in both the Corning Rotary Club and the Corning Philharmonic Chorus.
Brent was a generous man who received great joy supporting those who work in the trenches. He was a great supporter of the Salvation Army, the Youth Center, various literacy programs, after-school programs, and many others.
Brent was predeceased by his parents Elmer and Caryl Wedding; his brother-in-law Robert Major; and his sister-in-law Jane Loomis. He is survived by his beloved wife Susan; his son John, with wife Vanessa and daughter Jillian; his daughter Caryl, with husband Ronald Hirst and their children Susan and Jacob; his sister Kay Major of Washington state; and his eight nieces.
The funeral will be held at the First Baptist Church in Corning, NY, at 110 East First Street, on Monday January 10, 2022 at 11 AM.
Flowers will be provided by the family. Memorial donations may be made in Brent’s name to the First Baptist Church of Corning or to the donor’s charity of choice.
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