John W. Weaver

1929 - 2023

John W. Weaver, 94 died October 5, 2023 at Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community. He was born March 30, 1929 in Lancaster County, Pa., the youngest son of David N. and Francis B. Weaver. His siblings, Hoover, Florence, Kathryn and David, preceded him in death. He grew up in a Mennonite farming family in eastern Lancaster County and loved working with horses. When he was 17, he worked on a cattle ship taking horses to Poland. He attended elementary school at Union Grove and high school at Terre Hill before graduating from Lancaster Mennonite School. He received a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics and physics from Eastern Mennonite University, a Master of Science degree in statistics from the University of Delaware, and a doctorate in computer technology from The Johns Hopkins University. He was awarded a National Science Foundation Faculty Fellowship to complete the doctorate. After teaching mathematics at Lancaster Mennonite School, he worked as chief accountant at Delaware State Hospital, supervisor of Delaware State Agency of Surplus Properties, and scientific programmer and economic analyst at the Tidewater Oil Company. In September 1963 he joined the faculty of the University of Delaware, where he was instructor of statistics and computer science and was manager of the university's computer center. He completed his teaching career at West Chester University where he was professor of mathematical and computer science and for many years was the chair of the Department of Mathematical Sciences and Computer Science. He retired in January 2004. On August 16, 1951, he married Margaret Rose Martin, who died September 3, 2018. In 1955, when Margaret's oldest brother and his wife perished in an airplane accident, Margaret and John took the orphan children into their home and raised them. Robert Dwayne Martin (Pat Hooley Martin) and Helen Martin Harman survive along with their children and grandchildren. Before moving to VMRC in March 2014, the Weavers were members of Frazier (Pa.) Mennonite Church where John was for many years a Sunday School teacher, cabinet chairperson and worship coordinator. Because of his love of Russian liturgical music, John also sang in the choir of St. Herman Russian Orthodox Church prior to moving to VMRC in March 2014. A celebration of John's memory will be on Friday, November 3, 2023, 11:00 am, at the VMRC Strite Auditorium. For those who wish to celebrate the memory of John, memorial contributions to the VMRC Good Samaritan Fund, 1501 Virginia Avenue, Harrisonburg, VA 22802 are appreciated. Online condolences may be made to the family by visiting www.mcmullenfh.com. McMullen Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.