Timothy Vanderweert

1958 - 2023

Timothy Vanderweert
June 21, 1958 - January 9, 2023
Raleigh, North Carolina - Timothy Vanderweert was born on June 21, 1958 in Passaic, NJ to Joan Sikkema and Garret van der Weert. He died on January 9, 2023 at home. He had cancer.
Tim was a wondrous mix of humor, intellect, passion, talent, and charisma. He was ferocious in protecting the vulnerable and their untiring advocate. His art reflected the contradictions in our living, the absurd, the juxtaposition of contrasts. He was both deeply sensitive and intellectual, and when these two things came together, he was magical. Tim believed we were not ordinary, and that life did not need to be predictable. He was a risk-taker. This made it easier for those who knew him to hesitate less and to try more. In a world that can be bound by expectations and what is proscribed, Tim embodied the simple truth that we don't have to be expected. We can make our own path; be our own best version of our self.
Tim graduated with a BA in Philosophy from Montclair State University, an MA of Religion from UNC, a JD from UNC, and an MA in Liberal Studies from Duke. He attended school at Oxford and studied international law in Amsterdam. He earned a degree in photography from SPEOS in Paris. He was a talented fine arts photographer who exhibited in the U.S. and in Paris. His blog, Leicaphilia, gained worldwide attention. He was a gallery-represented painter. At the time of his death, he was attending Harvard. He never stopped learning and growing. Tim was a marathon runner for many years. He had ridden motorcycles since he was a teen and raced semi-professionally for several years. He was an avid bicyclist. He practiced law as a defense attorney in NC for more than 30 years. Tim loved to experience different landscapes and cultures. He traveled many places across the world. He and his wife, Donna Kay, were parents to 4 exchange-student daughters, who remain an important part of their family. Of all things, Tim loved animals, and especially, dogs. He made a home for many animals and he loved them well.
Tim is held in the hearts of his wife, Donna Kay Smith, his mother, Joan, brother Mark (Mary Ann), many nephews and nieces, his step-son and innumerable friends.
In lieu of a memorial, Tim will be honored with an exhibit of his photography and paintings which were curated by him before his death. Leicaphilia: A Life in Photography will be held March 5, 2023 at Whitaker and Atlantic, 1053 E Whitaker Mill Rd, Raleigh, STE 111, from 2:30-6:30 pm. Drinks and hor'dourves will be served.