Obituary of William Weaver

William W. Weaver passed away on February 14, 2014. Bill was known for his feisty spirit, his love of family, and his knack for storytelling. He moved to State College over twenty years ago with his beloved wife, Miriam J. Weaver, in order to be closer to family. They settled in Chestnut Ridge, but some years after the passing of Miriam in 1997, he moved into the Village at Penn State at age 82 and bought the baby grand piano he'd had his eye on. After several happy years, he decided that he was "tired of only old people" and at 88 years young, moved out of the retirement home and into a house in the Landings neighborhood where he loved watching the Little League games from his back porch. In his last year, he moved into Foxdale to relax, rediscover his love for woodworking, and enjoy exceptional care. Bill grew up in St. Louis, that left memories for stories of riding the runner boards of Model A Fords, riding bikes with wooden rims, and growing up in his father's blacksmith shop during the Great Depression. Bill fell in love with Miriam there, too, and they were married on June 28, 1942. He began studying Mechanical Engineering and started his career at Emerson Electric prior to joining the US Army during the Second World War. His battalion shipped out in 1944, and he served as Tank Gunner (he named the tank "Betsy's Beau") in a tour that started in the Ardennes and ended in Central Europe. He returned in a troop ship to New York though bound for the Pacific theatre. In a call home, he learned Miriam was also in New York, about to embark for a European tour as an ambulance driver in the WACs. They were reunited in NYC in the hectic aftermath of VJ Day, and returned to St. Louis where William finished his studies at Washington University on the GI Bill. By taking night classes, Bill could return to work that led to a successful career at Emerson Electric and then at McDonald Douglas. During his engineering career, he was deeply engaged in design and research related to missile defense systems and the space program. His work resulted in major patents in such innovations as three-dimensional weaving of structural, ablative surfaces for missiles and spacecraft. Retiring from defense-related engineering and urban life, William and Miriam moved to Detroit Lakes, Minnesota where he designed and patented several innovations in consumer product manufacturing. Recognition of theses innovations led to their move to Springfield, Massachusetts where he developed a design engineering capacity within a major consumer products corporation. After retirement, he and Miriam enjoyed ballroom dancing, big band music, football games, playing with their wire-haired terrier, and bicycling in Pennsylvania. In State College, William continued his long and active participation in Kiwanis, spending many years interclub visiting. William and Miriam were also active members of the State College Presbyterian Church. William is survived by two sons, Robert D. Weaver of Boalsburg and his family, and William W. Weaver II of St. Paul, Minnesota, their wives Jacqueleen and Marsha, respectively, and their families including eight grandchildren. A memorial service for William's life will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, February 20, 2014 at Koch Funeral Home in State College. Friends are warmly encouraged to participate.