James Edwin Weaver

James Edwin Weaver

December 8, 1937 – April 17, 2026

James “Jim” Edwin Weaver passed away peacefully on Friday morning, April 17, 2026, at Northwest Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona.

Born on December 8, 1937, in Spearfish, South Dakota, to Clyde and Phoebe (Sleep) Weaver, Jim remained a son of the Black Hills throughout his life. He graduated from Spearfish High School and married his high school sweetheart, Verla Mae Carstensen, on April 6, 1958.

He worked for Ainsworth construction company building houses on and off throughout college while pursuing his Bachelor's in Civil Engineering at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City. After graduation the young couple moved to Boise, ID, where daughter Tami was born. They lived in many additional states while Jim worked for the Federal Highway Administration doing engineering and surveying work for the burgeoning U.S. Interstate Highway System. They finally settled in St. Paul, MN in 1964, where son Mark was born. The family moved to Burke, VA in 1975 where Jim worked for the Federal Department of Transportation.

In 1994 Jim and Verla retired from the federal government and moved back to their roots in Spearfish. They were involved with their community and many local clubs including the Lawrence County Historical Society, and the Model T Club. They loved preparing and running tours for both clubs in order to share the history of the Black Hills area. They enjoyed many weekend morning breakfasts with the old car club and had fond memories of that group of very talented folks. In South Dakota Jim lead the yearly Christmas tree lighting and trimming efforts in their beautiful hillside community and always had a nicely manicured yard at each house the family lived in.

Jim enjoyed working on cars, houses and traveling, especially to the National Parks; he drove thousands of miles in their RV to family vacations in the Tetons, Yellowstone, the Rockies, Bryce and Zion Canyons, the Grand Canyon, Alaska (twice), the Canadian Rockies and many parks on the East Coast. He hiked up glaciers in Alaska and many mountains across the country and rafted down a section of the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon with the kids and grandkids. He loved collecting cars, working on many building projects and fixing anything that needed attention around the house and on the farm.

Jim was preceded in death by his his parents and beloved wife of 68 years, Verla Mae Weaver.

Jim is survived by his daughter Tami Kovalick and husband Bill of Davidsonville, MD and son Mark Weaver and partner Beth Sands of Gettysburg, PA. He was the proud grandfather of Benjamin Kovalick and wife Laura of Charlotte, NC, Jennifer Haas and husband Brett of Wilmington, DE, Amberly Hennigan and husband Andrew of Mt. Airy, MD, Mark Weaver Jr. of Gettysburg, PA, Jacqueline Weaver and fiancé Bradyn Riley of Harpers Ferry, WV. He also leaves behind three cherished great grandchildren, Theodore, Zelie and baby Daphne, his sister Irene Morrissey and husband Robert of Oneonta, NY and their children and grandchildren.

A graveside service will be held at Rose Hill Cemetery in Spearfish, SD, where Jim will be laid to rest in the hills he loved so dearly.