Ross Maughan Weaver's Obituary
Dr. Ross Maughan Weaver passed away peacefully at home May 30, 2011 surrounded by family. He was 89 years old. He was born in Preston, ID, to Sylvan G. (who delivered him) and Edna Harriet Maughan Weaver on April 4th, 1922. Ross was the last of 5 children, Weston, Grant, Harriett and June. The family enjoyed his many stories of childhood growing up on the dry farm, which they lost during the depression. He told us about serving in WW II on the North African and European fronts as a radio/RA DAR operator, and about being among the first to liberate Dachau. After the war, he used the GI bill to continue his education at Utah State, majoring in English which further increased his mastery and love for language. Ross was a gifted writer and wrote copious articles for newsletters and was a Copy Editor for a literary magazine. Family favorites were the rhyming clues he wrote for his traditional Christmas and Easter treasure hunts and poetry for all occasions. While at USU, he went to a Halloween Party where he met a beautiful Witch who had lost her broomstick, so he asked to take her home. The spell was cast. He never got tired of telling his heart doctor that his arhythmia 'began when he first met Marva and his heart skipped a beat and it skipped ever since'. Ross and Marva were married in the Salt Lake Temple August 25th 1947 (63years). Before Marva's passing (10 months ago) he was her caregiver and 'honey-do' person, tirelessly serving her with great humor and love.
Ross will be missed for his keen sense of humor, vast library of puns, poems and songs he had learned since the age of 3, which could light up any room with his many entertaining talents. Dr. Weaver was Director of Audiology at the Iowa School for the Deaf, from 1952-59, He taught Audiology at BYU from 1959-78, and he was also Director of Audiology at the Utah State Training School in American Fork from 1963-92, until he retired. In 1969 he took a sabbatical leave from BYU and earned a Doctorate in Audiology from the University of Oklahoma. He also started the first deaf work-shops at BYU as well as writing a book on Sign Language.
Ross had perfect pitch! If not winning at pitching horse-shoes, he followed in the traditions of his famous aunts "The Melody Weavers" and used his great sense of pitch and harmony by singing extensively with his two sisters, Harriett and June. Ross wanted to carry on this tradition with his own family and found the perfect time to corral them was while driving back and forth to Utah when living in Iowa and Oklahoma. A lot of time was spent packed in the station-wagon or van. It was there his children learned the old songs and great harmony. Later on, when making a CD, we jokingly named it "The Weaver Van Trapped Family Singers". Ross was also an avid Barbershop singer until his death, singing with the Skyline Chorus and in quartets for over 40 years.
Ross served in the LDS church all of his life. When he was branch president in Iowa, he and his councilors took off a whole summer to build a house which was sold and the money made was used to build a chapel for the Council Bluffs members. His latest 15 years working in the Provo Temple Baptistry were his very favorite.
Ross is survived by his children, Gary (Colleen), Salem, UT, Janine (Duane) Chase, Orem, UT, Julie (Lee) Matheson, Lake Charles, LA, Madeline Muir (Kelly McDermott), Bolinas, CA, and their favorite 'child', Polly the Parrot, 18 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. Ross was preceded in death by his wife, Marva and their son Wayne Muir Weaver.
The family wishes to give their deepest love and appreciation to Oak Hills 2nd Ward, the Skyline Chorus (esp. Bart Buell), and all other friends and support systems that took such good care of him.
Services will be held on Saturday, June 4th 2:00 pm at the Oak Hills Stake Center 865 E Temple Drive, Provo Utah. Viewings are Friday night 6-8 p.m. and Saturday 10-11:40. Flowers can be delivered to the chapel one hour prior to viewing.
Interment is Monday 12 noon June 6th at the Whitney Idaho Cemetery. Online condolences may be given at www. Premierfuneral .com
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