Send this story Print this story

Adjust text size

Damon Wedding retires as insurance agent

Friends and clients gathered Saturday, Feb. 13, at the Menlo Park Recreation Center to congratulate Damon Wedding of Atherton, who is retiring after 35 years as a Farmers Insurance agent in Menlo Park.

Mr. Wedding figures it's time to retire. At age 89, he says he's the oldest active agent around. "This was a second career, you know," he says.

Since becoming a Farmers Insurance agent in 1975, Mr. Damon's office has been located in Suite A at 671 Oak Grove Ave. in downtown Menlo Park.

The party was hosted by Charlie Porter, who is taking over the agency from his longtime associate. Mr. Porter has been working with Mr. Wedding for the past 21 years.

Mr. Wedding was born on a farm in Beaver Dam, Kentucky. After high school, he went to Western Kentucky Teachers College, earning a degree in physics.

In college he joined the Pershing Rifle Unit of the ROTC prior to serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. He served from 1943 to 1946, seeing active duty in the South Pacific. At the time of his honorable discharge, he was a captain and company commander.

After the service, he worked for the Pontiac Motor Division as western sales manager and as sale manager for Frazackerly Cadillac in San Francisco, before becoming a Farmers Insurance agent.

In August, Mr. Wedding and his wife, Dona, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. They were married Aug. 19, 1949, in Fresno and have lived in Atherton for 52 years.

The Weddings have been active in community organizations including Kiwanis, the Atherlons and Peninsula Volunteers.

They are the parents of three daughters, Linda Bonini, Rosemary Wedding and Cindy Keitel; and have one grandson.