Rochester developer, affordable housing advocate Joe Weis dies at age 88 Joe Weis, a prolific Rochester developer known for his booming voice, ever-present cigar and his drive to build affordable housing, passed away at age of 88 over the weekend. He is the latest in a string of long-time and high profile Rochester leaders to die in recent months. Written By: Jeff Kiger | × Joe Weis of Weis Builders in Rochester. Joe Weis, a prolific Rochester developer known for his booming voice, ever-present cigar and his drive to build affordable housing, died this weekend at the age of 88. Weis had been a fixture in the Rochester construction community since he and his brother Eugene took over their father’s work in 1952 with a garage as their first project. They launched Weis Builders in 1960.