Furuno USA Inc. announced that industry veteran and long-time Furuno employee, Butch Weghorst, passed away on Nov. 9.
Weghorst was Furuno USA's Gulf of Mexico regional manager from 1984 to 2016, working closely with dealers who he not only called customers but his friends. He began his marine electronics career in the 1960s as a Navy radioman, and he proudly wore his radioman's ring in memory of that service.
After the Navy, Weghorst worked in the Houston area, with stints at Gulf Radiotelephone, Krupp-Atlas and other companies. He began his Furuno career as a rep for Promar in the 1970s. After Furuno USA was founded in 1978, he worked as a Konel and then Furuno rep with Promar in the Gulf and Rivers region. In 1984, Furuno USA hired Butch as a regional manager for the Gulf Region. Weghorst represented Furuno for 32 years.
Weghorst’s history with Furuno USA is legendary — his driving log alone details hundreds of thousands of miles spent in the company's "Crown Vic," a car that was prized by a generation of regional managers. He spent many days with Furuno product engineers on the inland rivers, working to improve short-range target performance on multiple generations of Furuno radars. The Furuno Japanese staff affectionately called him "Butchie-san" or referred to him as "Clint Eastwood".
Weghorst is survived by his three sons — Anthony, John and Matthew.
