Dear relatives and friends,
Thursday afternoon we were visited by a Vermont National Guard captain and chaplain in our living room. They had come to bring us the news that our son, Jonathan, had been killed in an automobile accident on Wednesday night near Cameron, Missouri, while driving home to Leavenworth, Kansas on the last night of his leave. He was due to report to Fort Riley for training in preparation for a tour of duty in either Iraq or Afghanistan scheduled for the fall. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol he was cut off on a dual highway by a tractor trailer truck. The driver of the truck was given a reckless driving citation. Jonathan was driving his Ford van with George, their German Shepherd, and their Jack Russell terrier Milo also in the vehicle. The crash resulted in the van catching fire. Jonathan and Milo were both killed and George has been seen by local farmers but will not be approached.
This is about all we know as of this writing. The VT National Guard officers were misinformed, telling us that he was killed while driving a motorcycle. We told this to several people, probably starting a rumor which is untrue. It is their custom to send two officers to the first of kin before informing other family members. Meredith, Jonathan's wife, was at their summer cottage on Lake Michigan, of which the Army knew neither the phone number or address, thus they came to us some 15 hours after the accident. We left a voicemail message on the home phone of Brad and Mary Cox, Meredith's parents, hoping they would call us. Brad was in Leavenworth, and called us around 5pm Thursday. He gave us the Lake Michigan phone number, but asked us not to call until he had had a chance to inform the family. We were out for the evening as I was playing in the formal chamber music concert in Hardwick, VT. When we returned home around 11pm he called to say that he had informed Mary, and she would tell Meredith. At this point (Friday morning) we have heard from Meredith and are beginning to plan services, burial, obituaries, etc. The Army will be somewhat involved in these matters. Tentatively we are looking at a funeral at the Presbyterian Church in Leavenworth on Friday or Saturday, July 25-26, with possible memorial services at East Craftsbury and Madison Avenue at a later date. I wanted t let you all know as soon as possible, and we will keep you informed as more detailed plans are developed.
...The letter continued with our first attempt at a remembrance of Jonathan's life, next post.
5 comments:
Kiri,
Thanks for this opportunity to share our thoughts and feelings. Mary and I send our prayers to you and your family..such a tragic loss.
When I read the obituary, I was struck about how parallel Jonathan's life travels were to those of my own son, Daniel. He too is a Major in the Army and was also stationed in Germany, Fort Knox, Fort Jackson, Fort Benning and spent a year in Iraq. He applied to West Point and made it through till the last cut; then chose to go to ROTC Boston College where he did ROTC. He was active in HS and college theater and loved to sing and sang in the BC chorale.
Dan also finished a Masters Course in Political Science while in the Army.
We thank you for a glimpse into Jon's wonderful life. I can imagine how proud you all must be for all of his talents and accomplishments.
Love,
Mike & Mary
I first met Jonathan at the family cottage in Michigan when Meredith and he were first dating. The first day, we all thought he was Scottish because he took to speaking with a Scottish brogue and singing folk songs the whole time! My husband Joe met Jonathan last summer and took an instant liking to him. Since most of the people at the cottage were female, Joe, Chuck and Jonathan spent a lot of time together hanging out outside while everyone else was inside reading or scrapbooking. They sat outside most evenings, trying many new kinds of exotic beers and spending many hours just talking about anything and everything. One of our favorite memories with Jonathan is playing games with him. Joe and I will never forget playing Catch Phrase with Jonathan. He would have to describe a word and his team members would have to guess the word. We never got his clues because they were so above our heads! As Joe says, he would use “Jonathan” words and no one except Meredith’s Uncle Rich would guess it. Playing trivial pursuit with him was never any fun. I don't know how, but he knew every answer! He would have all his pie pieces way before Jodee and I even had 2! Joe and I were also amazed at Jonathan’s ability to swim for 2 hours straight without ever touching the bottom (often wearing pants and a long sleeved shirt instead of swimming trunks)! He would swim from buoy to buoy to buoy until we could no longer see him from where we had our chairs set up. Joe and I got so worried one time that we walked along the beach to see if we could see his head bobbing up and down in the water. Another favorite memory is of Jonathan somersaulting down Mt. Baldy, which Chuck now has up on youtube. Once he got an idea in his head, there was no stopping him! Joe and I had the pleasure of Jonathan’s company at our wedding on June 7 and at breakfast the following morning. We were so happy that our family from Kansas made the 6+ hour trip to share in our special day. Seeing the family from Kansas more than once a year is very rare! I also got to see Jonathan a few weeks later at the cottage in Michigan again just before he died. I’ll never forget the fact that he spent hours cleaning out that van because he and Meredith and the dogs were going on their trip to visit his family in New York and Vermont. He was outside in the scorching hot sun for hours until the van was in pristine condition! He was also convinced that Milo and George were going to get in the water with him and swim. I don’t think they ever did! Even though we didn’t know Jonathan for very long, he left a huge impression on us. No one was kinder, funnier, sillier, or more helpful. He treated Meredith like the princess she is and made her the happiest I’ve ever seen her and for that I am very thankful. I only wish he could have stayed around for much much longer. Joe only knew him a week but he said he will remember him for a lifetime. There is and never will be anyone like Jonathan Weaver and we are all blessed to have known him. He will be missed.
Love Jill and Joe Chlebus
JM&K,
First, thank you for setting up such a terrific forum for sharing our thoughts, memories and feelings. The letter, comments and pictures provoke such a strange mixture of sadness and laughter; I'm grateful to be a part of it.
I suppose I've known Jonathan since he was born. We've spent so many wonderful holidays and vacations together, all indelibly marked by gorgeous 8-part harmony: Jonathan's voice standing out as the highest (pre-puberty), and the lowest (post-). I recall the serious, hushed-voice family discussion about which parts he would be able to sing when it was changing.
My movie of Jonathan-memories is very long. Jonathan blasting off model rocket after rocket from the lawn of the VT house, and his boundless glee when they parachuted back to earth. Jonathan running and jumping in the grass for the sheer joy of movement. Jonathan eating enormous platefuls of food (rivaled by the rest of us, I should mention) at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Jonathan leaping down the rocks on Mt. Washington. Jonathan at the head of the dinner table, holding court, full of facts and opinions and analysis. Jonathan in freezing NYC January, in a tee-shirt, without his coat - on purpose. Jonathan's bear hugs that welcomed and calmed.
Jonathan's list of qualities require more disk-space than we've got, but here are a few of the big ones: Unconventional. Gleeful. Mischievous. Impish. Original. Big. Talkative. Smiling. Generous. Thrifty. Hardworking. Nerdy (in the best possible way). Enormously knowledgeable. Funny. Articulate. Literate. Considerate. Curious. Unerringly decent. Courteous. Warm. Deeply loyal to family and country, and willing to do anything, no matter how inconvenient or difficult, on their behalf.
However, for me - riddled with all forms of human insecurity - the single most defining thing about Jonathan is that he was more comfortable in his own skin than anyone I know. I can't imagine a better way to go through life. I just wish he had stuck around longer to teach the rest of us.
My thoughts are particularly with you - Uncle John, Aunt Marianne, Kiri and Meredith - as you come to grips with the loss of a son, brother and husband so dear. We'll miss him so much.
Love, Cindy
Family and Friends,
Jonathan was one of the kindest, and nicest gentlemen I have ever met. He seemed to be bigger than life itself. I did not know Jonathan long but in the short time Emily and I knew him he touched our lives deeply. In some of the worst of times, Jonathan always had something positive and encouraging to say. Such a polite and heart warming person. You don't meet someone of his caliber very often. He had a wonderful spirit and proved most gracious to all. We will be praying for Meredith and the entire Family. In this difficult time find comfort knowing that Jonathan is in the Arms of a great and loving man, and our Lord of the earth, The Creator of all.
Lord, we pray that you keep this family in your arms. Lord we pray and will continue to pray for those whose lives Jonathan touched and those who he held most dear. Thank you for allowing us to know Jonathan, thank you for the spirit he brought to our lives. Lord you have received a wonderful soldier into heaven, you made every hair on his head and you know his heart. Lord we graciously come to you asking you to mend these broken hearts and keep Jonathan's memory alive through those he called family, friends and those whose life he touched! Amen
To Jonathan's family:
Thank you for sharing Jonathan with us. We are Blessed to have known him, and it's it would be hard to not be changed by his kind spirit! We are pray for you daily. God bless you!
Mike, Jill and Joe, Cindy, George and Emily...
Thank you all so much for remembering our Jonathan so beautifully in your words. We love him so much, and his presence was so grand. The voices of others, remembering him with us, keeps that presence here for us, and sharpens our memories, and it is such a great gift.
We are so grateful to have family and friends at a time like this. We share your love.
-the Weavers.
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