Dennis 'D.A.' A. Weaver
February 2, 1916 ~ July 22, 2013
Resided in:
Pueblo, CO
D.A. Weaver, 97, long time resident of Pueblo, passed away peacefully on Monday, July 22, 2013.
A friend to everyone he met, D.A. lived a remarkable life. Born as Dennis Walter Aloysious Weaver on February 12, 1916, in Sayre, South Waverly, Pennsylvania, he was the fifth of nine children of Dennis P. 'Dent' Weaver and Margaret Rose Burke Weaver.
Born during World War I, he earned Bachelors and Masters degrees from Penn State University during the Great Depression. He then served in Europe and Africa with the American Field Service in World War II.
D.A. married Jackie Leatherman on September 8, 1946 in Winchester, Virginia. During the 1950's and 1960's, they raised four children while D.A. was a professor at major universities across the country, including Southern Methodist, Penn State, Purdue, Northwestern and, later, the University of Arizona. They also lived 15 years in Wausau, Wisconsin while D.A. was an executive with Wausau Insurance Companies.
D.A. was a pioneer in the field of occupational safety, best known for his research and original theories on safety management. While first and foremost an educator, he also wrote or co-wrote many publications on safety management; his greatest legacy was 'TOR – Technic of Operations Review'. Named a 'Fellow' of the American Society of Safety Engineers in 1990, he was inducted into the Safety and Health Hall of Fame International in 1996.
Before retiring, D.A. worked at the Pueblo Transportation Test Center and was affiliated with Steel City Insurance. He taught both classroom and online courses at CSU-Pueblo, and was active in the Pueblo Kiwanis Club.
Survivors include his children, Jackson Dell (Susan) Weaver of Seattle, Tia (Lael) Nielsen of Indianapolis, Dr. Jann Cather Weaver of St. Paul, and Gregory (Ann) Weaver of Eau Claire, Wisconsin; 12 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife Jackie, his parents, sisters and brothers.
Memorials can be sent to Sangre de Cristo Hospice of Pueblo.
Visitation with the family will be from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 30, 2013, at Montgomery & Steward Reception Hall, 1317 North Main Street in Pueblo.
D.A.'s life-long calling was the safety and well-being of all people, and to prevent human suffering wherever it was found.
I met DA in 2002, when I attended a meeting of the Safety and Health Promotion Council in Pueblo, CO. I was immediately drawn to the elderly gentleman with the twinkling eyes and ready smile. We had a lovely chat, and I was delighted to have him in my life.
We went out for meals, and he and my husband, Jerry, and I talked and talked and talked. We talked about safety, the field, the past, what he had done, what I was attempting to do, and what was happening in it. We talked about science, and medicine. We talked about theology, religion and the
meaning of life. We talked about current affairs. DA turned me on to
Bill O’Reilly on Fox News.
We also talked about his family. How very much he loved his wife and children and grandchildren. Jackie was alive then, and DA was busy teaching onlne and I was busy teaching at CSU-P, as it is called now. We didn’t get
together all that often., but every time it was as if we had just seen each other the day before.
After Jackie died, and DA was less and less able to see and drive, we spent more time together. We talked more. We talked about his bike riding trips. We talked about his days with the American Field Service. We talked about his
optimism that the human race would continue on, and it was progressing reasonably well. We talked about how well he gets along with women. (He did make an exception for some outstanding men, including Jerry.) We talked about his time as a Mason.
Once we drove out to Las Vegas for a safety conference together. It was a wonderful trip, and the last safety conference he ever went to. I had to go on to another conference, and ended up flying home. Jerry and DA drove home via the Grand Canyon. At that time he could still see vistas, and really enjoyed the trip. Jerry treasures the time he had with DA. I wish I could have joined them, but I was one of the speakers for the other conference.
As his health deteriorated,he needed to move out of his house and into his apartment. Talking books gave him a huge amount of pleasure and kept his mind sharp. Many people dropped in and visited, of all ages.
It was hard watching his health deteriorate, and I was quite glad when he moved to Primrose. His mind was rather wandering, and I heard many stories many times. (Each time was the first time I heard it, though…) Wherever his mind wandered, it was never very far from his family, though. He worried over some members and was always proud of his children and grandchildren. Ruth had a very special place in his heart, and her visits were especially treasured. It was wonderful that she got to come and see him with her husband and children just before he died. Of course, so were the many visits and phone calls from his children.
I would play his phone messages for him, and he always had a big smile on his face listening to those. When we would go through to see what to delete, those messages he always wanted to save. At the end, he was getting more frustrated with his mind and his lack of sight. However, he did make the best of the situation, and swore that he wanted to live forever.
It is rare for a man to have the wide variety of jobs, a very satisfying career that has saved many lives, marry the love of his life, have four great children (and he gave Jackie full credit for this!), many friends, and never a moment of boredom. His generosity of spirit was amazing, too. I was greatly privileged to know him, and to love him.
I shall always miss him.
I am saddened by your loss. We lived across the street from DA and Jackie on Brooks Place. They were delightful friends and neighbors. Our lives are richer for having know both of them. Both shall have a special place in our hearts always. We offter you our thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.
I very much regret having been unable to attend the farewell gathering for DA, a great friend and philosophic conversation partner. My sincere condolences to his children.
I have known DA since the 80s. I remember as a teenager being mesmerized by his stories. He accomplished so much in his life and he took such joy in eveything he did. At Jackie’s funeral, he shared with me how touched he was when one of his Grandchildren gifted him a teddy bear. It was such an appropriate symbol of how the little things meant so much to him. We didn’t agree on some things when it came to politics and religion but we enjoyed the conversations and varying view points we shared with one another. When his eyes started to fail, he didn’t give up, he just marked everything with big orange letters. When his energy started to wain, he asked his friends to come visit him at home. When he had to leave his home, he wanted so little, just a comfortable chair to recline in. He was planning his 100th birthday party. He still appreciated that euphoric glow one gets when sipping a glass of red wine. I will miss all these things about my friend and his big bushy eyebrows. I will keep him near to me in my heart for the rest of my days. Good bye dear gentle soul, see you on the other side!
D.A. was a good friend and adopted Grandfather to me. The world is definitely a little darker with him gone. I have never known anyone as optimistic as he was. He will be missed. I know that my life would not have turned out the way it is if it wasn’t for him.
Your father was an incredible man I was fortunate to have met. He will be missed by all.
Rose Vest
Beautiful glimpse of a beautiful man. He made the world a richer place to experience.
Mom, Aunt Jann, Uncle Jackson, Uncle Greg, I was fortunate to have been able to visit with Grandpada several times over the past 10 years. Of all the accomplishments in his life, he told me that his greatest was being your father. I enjoyed swapping war stories and advice with him. He will never be forgotten.
We in the occupational safety profession have lost a great friend and champion. D.A’s influence on the profession was profound. He was driven by the need to help others and to prevent industrial accidents and injuries. Through his research, publications and mentoring untold numbers of workers were able to return home at the ends of their shifts in the same shape they came to work in.
My heartfelt condolences to the family. Your father/grandfather was an amazing man! I learned so much from him in the time I knew him. He touched my families life in so many ways. So much wisdom and such a great storyteller. We lived below Mr Weaver on Eagleridge. So many fond memories of him. Most of those memories involve food and drink. I shall raise a glass of dubonnet in his honor!