John is survived by his wife, Marybel (Schlecty) Weaver whom he married June 8, 1947; son & daughter-in-law, Tim & Kristin Weaver of Versailles; daughters & son-in-law, Jill Brown of Houston, Texas and Beth & Clayton Watkins of Wheaton, Illinois; and grandchildren, Alex Weaver, Molly Weaver, Tim Weaver, Sam Brown, John Brown, William Watkins and Olivia Watkins.
In addition to his parents, John was also preceded in death by his daughter, Collette S. Weaver on April 11, 2014.
John was a graduate of Versailles High School. He enlisted in the United States Navy after graduation and served in the South Pacific on the USS Hornet, seventh fleet during WW II. After his service he enrolled at Miami University. He graduated in three years and played football for the Miami Redskins. John was a three-year letterman and an all- conference player. He was a member of the 1948 championship Sun Bowl team. His teammates included: Paul Dietzel, Ara Parseghian, John Pont and Bo Schembechler. He was inducted into the Miami University Athletic Hall of Fame. He played professional football for the New York Bulldogs as an offensive lineman before returning to Versailles to join Weaver Brothers. He retired as Chairman of the Board of the company. John loved his family, his business, employees and associates, his community and gardening. John was a lifetime member of the Versailles Christian Church. John was a longtime member of the Versailles Lion’s Club and received his 55-year-pin. He was a member of the Versailles VFW, the Masonic Lodge and the Antioch Temple. He was a founding member of Versailles Poultry Days and served as a past chairman of Poultry Days and honorary Poultry Days Parade Marshall in 2004. He was a citizen-of-the-year and a member of Versailles Village Council. John was a board member of U.S. Bank and Bank One. He served on the boards of the Ohio Poultry Association and United Egg Producers. He served two terms on the American Egg Board and was inducted into the Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame.
A funeral service will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Friday, June 27, 2014 at the Versailles Christian Church 105 West Ward Street Versailles with Pastor Dennis Wheeler officiating. Burial will follow in Greenlawn Cemetery in Versailles with Military Honors conducted by the Versailles Veterans’ Honor Guard. The family will receive friends on Thursday from 3:00 to 7:00 P.M. at Bailey Zechar Funeral Home in Versailles and Friday morning from 9:30 to 10:30 A.M. at the church. A Masonic Lodge of Sorrow will be held at 7:00 P.M. on Thursday at the funeral home conducted by the Versailles Masonic Lodge #290 F &AM. If desired, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Greater Versailles Area Foundation Fund. Condolences for the family may be expressed through www.zecharbailey.com
