Richard J. Weaver

Richard J. Weaver was born on July 25, 1924, in Bonneauville, Pennsylvania, the son of John and Marie Weaver. As one of 13 children, he was affectionately nicknamed “Screechy” as a baby. He attended St. Joseph’s School and Delone Catholic High School, where he excelled academically and skipped the fourth grade. During high school, Rich fell in love with Jeanne Marie Smith, who once declared, “I’m going to marry that paratrooper and have a dozen children.” They nearly fulfilled that dream, raising 11 children and two foster children after marrying in June 1946. They built their lifelong home at 42 Maple Street, where they lived for more than 70 years.

Rich entered the U.S. Army in 1943, training at Camp Mackall in North Carolina and joining the 17th Airborne Division Headquarters Company. He served in the G-1 Personnel Section under Major General “Bud” Miley and trained as both a glider trooper and a paratrooper. He participated in large-scale maneuvers in Tennessee before being deployed to England.

In December 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge, Rich and the 17th Airborne were flown into France under freezing conditions and moved to Morhet, Belgium. They joined General Patton’s Third Army and endured intense combat along with brutal winter weather. The division suffered heavy casualties throughout January 1945. In March 1945, Rich participated in Operation Varsity, the largest airborne assault of the war. He landed near Wesel, Germany, and even guided Lt. Gen. Matthew Ridgway through enemy territory to the division’s command post. He accompanied the division through several German towns as the war drew to a close.

After the war, Rich returned to Bonneauville and worked in his father’s grocery store before founding Richard J. Weaver’s Plastering Business, which he operated for over 50 years. He was a proud tradesman who often pointed out the homes he had plastered. Rich was a lifelong member of St. Joseph the Worker Parish. In 1978, he was ordained as a Permanent Deacon in the Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg. He served in nursing homes and prisons, dedicating his life to service through faith.

Rich loved playing and coaching baseball and was known for the lively games that brought the community together. He also served as the president of the Bonneauville Town Council, was active in the Catholic War Veterans, and worked many bingo nights at the parish. He enjoyed fishing (and stretching the truth about the size of his catch). A lifelong Bonneauvillian, Rich was born, educated, married, raised a family, worked, worshipped, and celebrated his 100th birthday—all in the same town. The community honored him by naming the Richard J. Weaver Parish Center after him.