John Haynes Weis

1955 - 2015

John Haynes Weis, husband, father, son, brother, mentor, educator and outdoor advocate, passed away at home on December 11th from glioblastoma.
John was born in Bartlesville, Oklahoma on April 11, 1955 to Robert E. Weis and Adrienne H. Weis. He attended public schools there and graduated from Bartlesville High School in 1973. He was a Boy Scout in the Cherokee Area Council of Boy Scouts of America. He attained the rank of Eagle Scout and earned his God and Country Award concurrently. He enjoyed his summertime treks in the Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico.
He attended the University of Oklahoma and later Oregon State University, Corvallis, where he graduated with a BS degree. During the summers he worked for the Bureau of Land Management in Idaho as a forest fire spotter.
He received a PhD in Microbiology from the University of Minnesota, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School. John was married to Janis J. Weis, and they have twin daughters, Julie and Allison. John was extremely proud of the academic and personal accomplishments of his daughters; Julie as a medical student, scientist and Outward Bound instructor with a Master's in Public Health, and Allison as a PhD candidate in Microbiology, scientist and teacher who has spent time volunteering in Latin America.
John spent 27 years in academics as a Professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of Utah. His research was devoted to the study of fundamental principles of immunology to both graduate and medical students.
John's passions included fly fishing and photography, and he was never happier than when continuing these talents while casting for bonefish in the Caribbean. He doted on his wife and children, and encouraged all to strive for excellence and enjoyment in all pursuits. Many of the family's best times were spent exploring the Utah desert, Wyoming Wilderness and Pacific Northwest. He was a master of good will and humorous statements, and will be missed by family, fishing buddies, students, colleagues, and dear friends.
John is survived by his wife and soul mate of 37 years, Janis Weis, with whom he shared graduate, postdoctoral and faculty experiences, his daughters, Julie and Allison Weis, mother Adrienne Weis, brothers Robert (Janice) Weis and Lawrence Weis, sister Anita (James) Mapes. He was preceded in death by his father Robert Weis.
A celebration of life will be held January 23rd at a location to be determined. In lieu of flowers. the family suggests donations to Reel Recovery, Na'atik Language and Cultural Institute, or the Utah Chapter of the Lupus Foundation